jmood

I'm going to look foolish with this thread, but let's try. Here goes:

I know there's this thread, but it's way too long and hence scary.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/trail...t-cars-801119/

The thing is, I don't even know where to start. I know there are online and print reviews. But you need to have a starting point or a point of reference to make any meaningful use of those.

I lived in suburban London a long time ago and had a car (an Alfa Romeo, I was spoilt back then), then was an expat in Europe and had an economy car for a few years. All the time in-between and after I've either lived in Central London or central NYC and didn't have and didn't want a car. And I know very little about them. I rent whenever I need to, it's easy, quick, convenient and cost effective that way. However work may soon need me to drive considerably and regularly and hence.

Here are my silly criteria:

1) Spend as little as possible.
I know this amounts to an how long is a piece of string question.
I don't know whether I want used or new and if used how used I should go for. i really have no idea.

2)Large enough that I won't feel scared I'll be squashed at the smallest impact. I was once given a special edition Mini at a rental outlet (they thought they were doing me a favor for the bad treatment) and i didn't like it. It was too small and felt a little scary because of that.

3)Not a gas guzzler mega thingy

4)Quiet
Again, I know probably this is relative to the amount of $$s and class of luxury. But this is an important one for me

5)Seat belts (where they hang) should be adjustable. I am a shortie.

6)Good A/C, that cools without making a big noise

7)Do any cars have A/C that blows from the back? I hate the A/C that blows cold on your face and feet and still fails to cool adequately

The options are so vast both in choices and in places to look that it feels daunting and I don't know how to go about this.

So, suggestions please?

markonline1

Ford Fusion, Honda Accord? (I'm assuming the focus and the civic will feel a little small for you). Mazda 6. Anything by Subaru. How's that for starters?

jmood

Thanks!
How's this? I dunno. I will look them up. I guess I need to test drive them too. Maybe if Enterprise (my local rental agency) carries them I'll rent for a day.

Why them?

SpoogleDrummer

How much driving do you consider considerable? If I had to drive more than I do I'd get a Prius assuming you either have to pay for your own fuel or are re-reimbursed a set amount per mile. They're also pretty quiet.

jmood

300 to 400 miles a week.

Are they quieter than the above mentioned cars?

Pulaski

Smallish SUV, not the smallest, but something like a Ford Escape or a Honda CR-V?

SpoogleDrummer

Unless the other cars are hybrid versions too then I'm almost certain the Prius would be quieter.

jmood

I don't get SUVs. I get them if you have people or cargo to carry around. But if you don't, why an SUV? This is not a rhetorical question. It's a real question

jmood

So a hybrid is by definition quieter than a car that runs on petrol?

Pulaski

You said you didn't want something that left you feeling like you might get crushed.

Modern SUVs like the two I mentioned and many larger ones these days, are really nothing more than estate cars with raised suspension and a tall body. In fact even the body on the old 1990's era Jeep Cherokee had a body that was shorter and narrower than a Volvo estate, it was just lifted up on higher suspension.

Earlier this year on another thread on buying cars I pointed out that even the "large" Honda SUV, the Pilot is within 1 inch the same length as a Honda Accord, and 2 longer than the Camry.

SpoogleDrummer

Hybrids usually have smaller engines than their equivalent petrol/gas powered car as they run on a combination of electricity and gas, the end result, other than better gas mileage, is a quieter car.

Pulaski

I don't think a hybrid is any quieter unless it is running on its batteries alone, at low speed. I would suggest that a smaller engined hybrid vehicle being thrashed along the interstate at 70-80 mph (which I see fairly regularly! ) is probably actually noisier than a conventional petrol-powered car; I also suspect it is barely more economical than a conventional petrol-powered car when being driven like that!

markonline1

Well, they fit your bill in that they aren't gas guzzlers, they are mid size so large enough to make you feel safe. Not too expensive to maintain. All get fairly good reviews online. You are right though, you need to get out start test driving, see what grabs you.

jmood

Hmmm. Thanks all.

So these smaller SUVs which are "raised estate cars", are they categorically more expensive to maintain?
Are they smoother?
Quieter?
Safer?
Price-wise are they categorically more expensive than what has been suggested (the Honda, Subaru, Mazda)?


I have driven a few SUVs, the last one was last year. I rented out the one but biggest SUV Avis had. I had to carry some cargo from the airport. The thing was massive. I mean massive. But it was smooth. And very very comfortable. But I'm just saying this. I am nowhere near financially being able to afford such a thing.

The other thing is, last week I rented something one category up from the compact (the smallest). One thing I noticed was it was slow to accelerate. Not that I can be that choosy. But again, I'm just saying. I would put my foot down on the gas (e.g. joining the motorway from a slip road) and it was sluggish. Is this what I should expect in the category that has been suggested to me. The Subaru, Honda and Mazda?

Pulaski

You didn't say what you rented, but a Honda, any model, and a Mazda should not be "sluggish", in fact any Honda or Mazda, with the exception perhaps of the minivans, should be pretty nippy.

Some small cars can be noisy, partly because they have small engines which are being pushed hard, and partly because they are plasticy and have poor sound insulation. I would stay away from the Nissan Sentra, and pretty much any Kia for that reason. Watch out generally for Kias and Hyundais as they depreciate rapidly, so while being cheap to buy you can lose value; of course that matters less if you are planning to run it into the ground. Mitsubishi is losing market share in the US, and some think it may pull out of the US market entirely, which would kill the market for used Mitsubishis, so that's a reason to think very carefully before buying one.