What do you drive?

[luvthemstrawberries]

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Toyota is FABULOUS - the quality is incredible. I got it at the end of the year, on clearance, with all the options I wanted. I got the Upgrade Package #1 - comes with all the upgrades except the subwoofer, which is Package #2.

This is SUCH a well-built vehicle - built on the Tacoma base, but drives like a DREAM. It is so smooth on the highway, but can be taken off-road with the best of them. Seats are stain-resistant and water-resistant. No carpets, so easy cleanup. So many cool gadgets and cool things about it. It looks unique and is so fun and utilitarian. The ''08 models and up (mine was the first, 2007) have side curtain airbags too. GREAT vehicle for someone with an animal - the back is easy-peasy cleanup, since it''s all the rubber material (no carpet). Back seats fold flat too.

Only negative for me is that the only windows that open for driving are the main doors (it''s actually a 5-door vehicle). The back window opens upward, but can''t stay open for driving. Only other negative I''d see is if you have a baby (that you have to get in and out of the back seat yourself), as the opening is kind of small - it does have childseat hookups though, haha, so I may be giving it a try once I have a kid.

I get 19.69 mpg consistently (yes I check it every time I fill up, haha) during the work week (driving downtown). I get 22-23 mpg on the highway. (I had a 98 Honda Accord before this one, which got ~26-28 mpg. Not such a bad change, in my opinion, to get such a more useful vehicle.

 

[Lauren8211]

2005 Honda Civic SE.

LOVE it. Haven''t had a problem yet. I will definitely buy another Honda when the time comes for a new car.

 

[princessplease]

Date: 7/19/2009 10:37:43 PM
Author: Amethyste

Date: 7/19/2009 10:19:31 PM

Author: princessplease

I have an ''05 Mini Cooper S. The best car I''ve ever owned in my life! Great gas mileage!

My car was a Mini before my smart, you are lucky!!! mine had 31K miles on it and my CVT went out, Mini quoted me $7,200 to replace my transmission, I passed on that - returned the car to the dealer! i loved how the Mini handled the road, it is such a fun car!!!

I know everything is SO expensive to fix (since they''re made by BMW), so I picked up an extended warranty.

 

[Amethyste]

Date: 7/20/2009 8:38:30 AM
Author: princessplease

Date: 7/19/2009 10:37:43 PM
Author: Amethyste

Date: 7/19/2009 10:19:31 PM

Author: princessplease

I have an ''05 Mini Cooper S. The best car I''ve ever owned in my life! Great gas mileage!

My car was a Mini before my smart, you are lucky!!! mine had 31K miles on it and my CVT went out, Mini quoted me $7,200 to replace my transmission, I passed on that - returned the car to the dealer! i loved how the Mini handled the road, it is such a fun car!!!

I know everything is SO expensive to fix (since they''re made by BMW), so I picked up an extended warranty.

you know, my Smart is made by Mercedes, so i got wiser as well, when I purchased it, i also splurged in an extended warranty!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 7/20/2009 8:22:33 AM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Toyota is FABULOUS - the quality is incredible. I got it at the end of the year, on clearance, with all the options I wanted. I got the Upgrade Package #1 - comes with all the upgrades except the subwoofer, which is Package #2.

This is SUCH a well-built vehicle - built on the Tacoma base, but drives like a DREAM. It is so smooth on the highway, but can be taken off-road with the best of them. Seats are stain-resistant and water-resistant. No carpets, so easy cleanup. So many cool gadgets and cool things about it. It looks unique and is so fun and utilitarian. The ''08 models and up (mine was the first, 2007) have side curtain airbags too. GREAT vehicle for someone with an animal - the back is easy-peasy cleanup, since it''s all the rubber material (no carpet). Back seats fold flat too.

Only negative for me is that the only windows that open for driving are the main doors (it''s actually a 5-door vehicle). The back window opens upward, but can''t stay open for driving. Only other negative I''d see is if you have a baby (that you have to get in and out of the back seat yourself), as the opening is kind of small - it does have childseat hookups though, haha, so I may be giving it a try once I have a kid.

I get 19.69 mpg consistently (yes I check it every time I fill up, haha) during the work week (driving downtown). I get 22-23 mpg on the highway. (I had a 98 Honda Accord before this one, which got ~26-28 mpg. Not such a bad change, in my opinion, to get such a more useful vehicle.

Forgot you had asked about repairs. Mine hasn''t been to the shop once yet, not even for oil change. FI changes the oil, rotates the tires, greases everything up, refills all the fluids, changes filters, etc. He''ll probably change the brakes too when the time comes. None of this voids the warranty too, as long as you hang onto the receipts. None of this has been costly in any way, except for the Toyota filters, since we use the genuine brand for that.

Only thing we''ll have to take it in for is tire balancing, if that problem ever arises before I get a new set, since these Toyota wheels are so nice and you have to have special tools to do the balancing, as they only have one weight on the wheel. I also got mine from a spot in town that offers the lifetime Toyota powertrain warranty. Toyota covers everything for 100k or 5 years. After that, the dealership still covers the lifetime warranty. So far though, nothing major has happened (I''ll have it for 2 years this December, and as of now I already have put almost 20k on it).

 

[NakedFinger]

I drive a 2008 Audi TT Roadster Convertible. Its really sexy

I dont have kids yet, so I am trying to enjoying driving a sports car with only 2 seats as long as I can! Haha

 

[UCLABelle]

Date: 7/20/2009 1:51:34 AM
Author: musey
I drive a ''99 Jeep Cherokee

it''s really just fine, and has held up well, but it''s sort of PAINFUL to drive as I am something of an environmentalist. I drive as little as humanly possible.


My husband drives a 2006 Prius, and I couldn''t recommend it more highly. It''s just fantastic.

My husband drives a ''99 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has a billion miles and has held up pretty well, and looks good. It will hopefully last 1-2 more years

I drive (and love 110%) a 2008 Saab 9-3. It is FANTASTIC and I expect it to last as long as the Jeep.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Brand new MB ML550. 2008 Acura TSX. Sold our two other vehicles on Thur. last week! Still dreaming about the S550 4 matic--but there is room in our garage.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Moh 10]

I am very surprised so many people resign themselves to car problems.
I guess people really do buy, and love, cars that are poorly rated for reliability.
One poster even wrote, " I will be purchasing the extended warranty on it because I do expect it to have problems, like all cars do, but it costs a bit more."

To me a car is like a washing machine.
It is just an appliance that does a job.
It is not a status symbol or a source for "fun", as in going from 0 to 60 in X seconds.
If I want fun I'll put on my bell-bottoms, platform shoes and a polyester shirt to go disco dancing.

To me the most glamorous thing a car can do is work reliably.
The ideal car would be: Safe, low-cost, get super mileage, be reliable, and hold maximum resale value.
I really do believe we went into Iraq to ensure a source for future oil so high MPG (not just in car choice but in driving style) is a huge priority to me.
I feel so guilty contributing to the loss of lives over in Iraq.
I feel bad when the MPG reading in my hybrid falls below 60, because I know I can do better.

I'm a Honda man.
I have never had a single problem with any of my Hondas.
I have never bought an extended warranty.

To me buying a Honda IS the extended warranty.

I know a guy who didn't believe me when I told him I have NEVER seen a single drop of oil in my driveway.
He insisted ALL cars leak at least a little oil.

I worked with a guy who bought a new 82 Ford the same time I bought a new 82 Honda Accord.
About four years later he junked it because the repair it needed cost more than the car would have been worth.
He told me in those 4 years he spent $12,000 on repairs, and this was above and beyond the repairs covered by the warranty.
I was astonished when he bought another new Ford.

I said, WHY!?! are you buying another Ford?!?!
He replied, "My dad always drove Fords."

Okay preachy rant over.

 

[steph72276]

I switch out driving either our paid in cash Chevy Trailblazer or whatever my husband brings home from work (he works in the auto industry and brings home a new company car every few weeks). I guess since he''s been able to drive whatever he wants to for a while, the appeal of cars has just gone away, and I don''t really care what I drive as long as it is safe and reliable. We plan to keep our trailblazer for another few years until we have enough saved in our car fund to pay cash for something else, but not sure what it will be since we will have another child by then.

 

[Tuckins1]

I drive an ''07 Jetta. It''s a manual, and I get GREAT gas mileage!!! (On average 25-26 mpg city, and OVER 30 highway!!)

 

[Lilac]

I drive a 2006 Honda Accord. The only thing I wanted in my car was navigation and I got it - I have a terrible sense of direction

I love my car.

 

[D&T]

subaru forester -nothing fancy - large enough to feel secure, small enough with great manuverability, kids and get in and out just fine, roomy back. After this one, we''ll upgrade to a much larger SUV, we plan on having more kids, and be able to tow a boat as well, so a Sequoia will be the next vehicle for us.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

2008 Highlander (Toyota).

I *big fluffy heart* it

 

[Newbie627]

Currently drive a 2008 Mercedes GL450 SUV (white) - plenty of room for my three girls with two extra third row seats for friends etc. No repairs or complaints to date. Had the truck for over a year now.

 

[princesss]

2007 Ford Focus hatchback. I

it! Good mileage, very smooth to drive, and (most importantly) gets me from A-B without any issues (yet...knock on wood!). Eventually I''d love something a little more fun to drive (hello Mini!) but that''s still many, many years away. Right now I plan to drive this car into the ground. It''s perfect for me.

 

[Barcelona]

Are you still in sales? How far is your average trip? And what is your budget?

Things I would consider if I was in sales:

How comfortable the seats are if you do long trips
How large the trunk is if you need to carry luggage
How many people you can fit if you need to take clients out
The origin of the car - depending on your industry (since you have a Land Rover I assume having an American made car is not important)

Personally I would buy an Audi A4 or A6. While I don''t own either of them, we do have other Audi''s and have owned others in the past. They are great to drive, very comfortable and have nice interiors. They have been very reliable, but some repairs can be expensive. As long as you care for the car they should treat you well.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 7/20/2009 9:59:25 AM
Author: Moh 10

I''m a Honda man.
I have never had a single problem with any of my Hondas.

HI:

Just sold our Pilot--my GF was so happy to have it! Low kms--only I drove it and it was immaculate. Served us well and retained it''s value for resale. Would seriously consider another Honda when my son needs a car....

cheers--Sharon

 

[tigian]

2004 BMW X3 with close to 95,000 miles. Just the usual maintenance check-ups which were covered by warranty. Our AC had some problems a couple months ago but it was sort of an unusual problem.
Are you still in sales? Your clients would fit comfortable in the X3. Although it is an SUV, it is easy to handle and not too big if you are in the city and have to deal with parking.

 

[vizsla]

DH and i just bought (to replace my VW GTI

) a 2008 volvo V50 (turbo).
so far i really enjoy driving the volvo.. not quite as peppy as my VW, but alllmmmooossttt as fun to drive. super safe and plenty of room without being gigantic (they do come with AWD if you are looking for puddle jumping capability).
so far i haven''t noticed that this car has been dramatically more in gas $$ than my GTI.. so i''d def. give it a thumbs up. also, volvo has one of the BEST certified pre-owned warranties - full bumper to bumper for 100,000 miles (or 6 years).

 

[Luckyeshe]

Date: 7/20/2009 10:54:14 AM
Author: Barcelona
Are you still in sales? How far is your average trip? And what is your budget?

Things I would consider if I was in sales:

How comfortable the seats are if you do long trips
How large the trunk is if you need to carry luggage
How many people you can fit if you need to take clients out
The origin of the car - depending on your industry (since you have a Land Rover I assume having an American made car is not important)

Personally I would buy an Audi A4 or A6. While I don''t own either of them, we do have other Audi''s and have owned others in the past. They are great to drive, very comfortable and have nice interiors. They have been very reliable, but some repairs can be expensive. As long as you care for the car they should treat you well.

Fortunately, I am no longer in sales

. I wanted a bit of a bigger car when I originally got my Rover because I also have dogs (1 husky about 75lbs and 1 papillion about 10lbs) and I moved around a lot

. The backseat of my Rover was foldable and it gave me lots of room for my dogs and my stuff whenever it was time to move. I''m ok with the idea of having a hatchback. I was looking at the RAV4 and the Honda Fit. I also like the Scion Xb as well. I''m trying to find a good car that will get good gas/mileage ratio and potential fit kids and dogs in there when the time comes. I''ve only had 2 cars so far and my first was a Honda Civic and my second is the Rover. I think I''d go back to having a Honda or a Toyota. I''m also looking at Tacoma''s too.

I am enjoying reading about everyone''s cars. Keep ''em coming please!

 

[gemgirl]

I drive a 2003 Mazda Tribute ES. I LOVE SUVs and I can''t wait to get another one next year to replace my old ''92 Protege''. My husband believes in keeping cars forever, but I don''t.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 7/19/2009 8:25:29 PM
Author:Luckyeshe
I am trying to see what everyone drives, year, make and model since my LandRover is currently acting up and I have a feeling I'm gonna need a new one soon. Because I have a LandRover, it cost me about an arm and a leg to get it repaired, but heck, I didn't think I'd be doing this only after 4 years of ownership. (I will admit though, that I have driven my car to the ends of the world because I was in sales and it's all my fault

) I have a LandRover Freelander HSE 2004 with about 114,000 miles. I got it in 2005 with only 11,000 miles. Yup, I was bad

.

I'm sorry to tell you but there is something terribly wrong with all Freelanders. They stopped making that car. I had a 2002 that was a L-E-M-O-N and I researched the problems and found that the problem was widespread and unfixable. DUMP IT ASAP. I traded mine mere weeks before the warranty ran out -- got a 2005 Toyota Rav 4 and haven't had a day's trouble with it in the last 3 yrs. Also looked up my old Freelander's car fax report & found out whoever bought it from the dealer I traded it to JUNKED it a mere 9 months later. Total garbage. Salvage. Hey, at least you can stop blaming yourself for the Freelander's woes!

ETA: I will say that it was a very cute & comfy car. I liked everything about it but its awful, awful innards. Was my first NEW car and it broke my heart. I loathe it with the passion of a scorned lover

.

 

[dragonfly411]

Right now I am in an 04 Jeep Liberty. I adore it, but the mileage dropped 5 mpg in the past 3 months and I don''t know why (it has a monitor that tells me average mpg..... could this just be erroring?). If after tune up it doesn''t get better MPG then I might shop. I got this last year, and it''s been a gem, but I''m major about getting good mpg, and want something that is going to be environmentally friendly. I''d like to be getting at least the standard 30 mpg, preferably more, so I might shop anyways as it averagely gets about 25-27 mpg. Anyone have any thoughts about trading in this early? Is it justified considering it isn''t getting the MPG I would prefer, and I''d like to find something that is environmentally friendly?

 

[Prana]

I drive an ''07 Scion TC. It''s good on gas, inexpensive payments, and relatively cheap parts. I really like my car. Sometimes I think of getting a nicer car, like a Subaru STI (I love those) or an Evo, but it''s not too important to me and either of those cars would be more expensive than the Scion in terms of price, gas and parts.

 

[Luckyeshe]

Date: 7/20/2009 12:08:57 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 7/19/2009 8:25:29 PM
Author:Luckyeshe
I am trying to see what everyone drives, year, make and model since my LandRover is currently acting up and I have a feeling I''m gonna need a new one soon. Because I have a LandRover, it cost me about an arm and a leg to get it repaired, but heck, I didn''t think I''d be doing this only after 4 years of ownership. (I will admit though, that I have driven my car to the ends of the world because I was in sales and it''s all my fault

) I have a LandRover Freelander HSE 2004 with about 114,000 miles. I got it in 2005 with only 11,000 miles. Yup, I was bad

.

I''m sorry to tell you but there is something terribly wrong with all Freelanders. They stopped making that car. I had a 2002 that was a L-E-M-O-N and I researched the problems and found that the problem was widespread and unfixable. DUMP IT ASAP. I traded mine mere weeks before the warranty ran out -- got a 2005 Toyota Rav 4 and haven''t had a day''s trouble with it in the last 3 yrs. Also looked up my old Freelander''s car fax report & found out whoever bought it from the dealer I traded it to JUNKED it a mere 9 months later. Total garbage. Salvage. Hey, at least you can stop blaming yourself for the Freelander''s woes!

ETA: I will say that it was a very cute & comfy car. I liked everything about it but its awful, awful innards. Was my first NEW car and it broke my heart. I loathe it with the passion of a scorned lover

.

Ok, now I''m feeling a bit better! I kept blaming myself for always being so hard on it and now I feel like you do. I am not quite at loathe yet, but I feel like I''m getting there. How''s the drive in your RAV4? I liked how the Freelander handles since it feels very solid. I always have a worry about tipping over if I take turns to hard....

 

[monarch64]

Date: 7/20/2009 9:40:40 AM
Author: UCLABelle

Date: 7/20/2009 1:51:34 AM
Author: musey
I drive a ''99 Jeep Cherokee

it''s really just fine, and has held up well, but it''s sort of PAINFUL to drive as I am something of an environmentalist. I drive as little as humanly possible.


My husband drives a 2006 Prius, and I couldn''t recommend it more highly. It''s just fantastic.

My husband drives a ''99 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has a billion miles and has held up pretty well, and looks good. It will hopefully last 1-2 more years

I drive (and love 110%) a 2008 Saab 9-3. It is FANTASTIC and I expect it to last as long as the Jeep.

I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland...I didn''t have a lot of choice in my car purchase last fall and it was a good deal for me. It has 105k miles on it and I''m hoping to get another 3-4 years out of it. I bought it from my employer, who has the 2004 version himself. So far it''s been a great car, the appointments are very nice and I''ve had no problems with it as it was well-maintened. However, my brother is a BRILLIANT mechanic and he and my SIL drive Jeeps themselves, so if I do have issues I''m not overly concerned.

 

[Amandine]

Date: 7/19/2009 9:01:24 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I drive an ''09 Toyota Camry-base model. It''s not glamorous, but it has all I need and coming off of a money pit Saab 9-5, I welcome the lack of expensive maintenance.

I drive the same make and year of Camry! DH drives a ''99 Ford Explorer.

 

[Barcelona]

Date: 7/20/2009 12:01:48 PM
Author: Luckyeshe
Fortunately, I am no longer in sales

. I wanted a bit of a bigger car when I originally got my Rover because I also have dogs (1 husky about 75lbs and 1 papillion about 10lbs) and I moved around a lot

. The backseat of my Rover was foldable and it gave me lots of room for my dogs and my stuff whenever it was time to move. I'm ok with the idea of having a hatchback. I was looking at the RAV4 and the Honda Fit. I also like the Scion Xb as well. I'm trying to find a good car that will get good gas/mileage ratio and potential fit kids and dogs in there when the time comes. I've only had 2 cars so far and my first was a Honda Civic and my second is the Rover. I think I'd go back to having a Honda or a Toyota. I'm also looking at Tacoma's too.


I am enjoying reading about everyone's cars. Keep 'em coming please!

Ok, then my recommendations change

I would suggest the Audi A3 or A4 wagon. Both have lots of room and are a blast to drive. If you'd like to stick with an SUV type vehicle, I'm a fan of the Tiguan or Touareg and the X3 or X5. I would say the Q5 or Q7, but they drink gas as if they were an RS4. The Honda CRV isn't bad either. One of my coworkers picked up a new one and I was pleasantly surprised by it. According to her it fits a lot of stuff in the back.

 

[vespergirl]

I drive a Volvo XC90 (SUV) and I LOVE it. Haven''t had any repair issues, but I''ve only had it for a year and a half. It''s a great car though, and I can''t imagine trading it for anything different until I''m done with carseats in the back and can trade down in size to a smaller sports car.