dickiederson

Hi All,

Preparing to make the move to LA in a few months with my Wife and trying to get my head around the car....The 'Auto' situation!

Firstly I'm so unfamiliar with makes and models over there... I'm trying to figure out what would be rough equivalents of the AUTOS we have in the UK.

We have a Ford Puma.... https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...D8jK0QXdv4CABQ

Which I love, it's basically a bit like a VW Golf GTi (I think they have them Stateside?!) but smaller. It's great fun, looks nice, is quite nippy and handles like a little racing car...PLUS my wife can usually park it without any damage.

I was thinking maybe a Mazda MX-5 (Miata?!) would be a good replacement. But apparently heterosexuals aren't allowed to drive them in the USA. Which is a shame because they're brillant cars....!

We also have a Ford Galaxy...https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fo...w=1366&bih=643

Which I think is called a Mini Van. But the Mini Van's I've seen all look like big panel vans with windows in the side. The Galaxy has been great as a film production unit vehicle because it has 7 seats and lots of room to ferry crew and kit around, it's alro really comfy, ecconomical and cheap to insure...

So does anyone have any pointers for replacements in California?

The annoying thing is both my cars are in geat condition, with under 100k on the clock and we'll be lucky to get $1600 for each one when we sell them over here... I'm not sure we'll be able to afford a skateboard with that in LA!

Also I'm not sure the lay of the land regrding insurance... What are the cheapest type of cars to get cover on... I'm 34 and my wife is 28. Does your job have as much influence over the premium as it does in the UK (If you tell the company you're an actor in the UK they usually add a 0 to the end of your policy premium!)

Thanks guys :-)

S Folinsky

I live in LA. I do not see the actual equivalent models in the US. The VW Golf is sold in the US including the GTI models. On the "vans" -- vans are not popular over here -- they had the "soccer mom" image. Also, they were bigger than your "Galaxy." [BTW, the name "Galaxy" is the now retired name in the US for the "full size" sedans which later became the "LTD" and ended up as the "Crown Victoria." I ended up with a Crown Vic on a stop-over in New Jersey on the way back from Germany, where I we had rented a Skoda Octavia. What a difference! The Crown Vic is no longer produced].

Given the age you are looking at -- you might be interested in the Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager minivans. They are an example of "badge engineering" -- I would not be surprised if the Nissan pulls a higher price. [Do note the old joke of the meaning of FORD -- "Fix Or Repair Daily." But Chrysler is now bringing the Fiat 500 -- people seem to have forgotten "Fix It Again Tony." Saab aka "Stops At All Banks" is now defunct.]

You may like the Honda Fit.

Do note that stick-shift transmissions are fairly rare in the US. And for the models that have them, you might actually get a discount. BTW, avoid the pre-2006 Mini Coopers with the automatic -- that tranny was one of the misses by BMW and they do NOT stand behind it -- I speak from my daughter's experience.

p.s. A pet peeve -- "Cali" is a city in Colombia. The postal abbreviation of CA will do, otherwise it is Cal or Calif. After all, the name starts with a "Cal-If" and not "Cal-Lee"

GeoffM

I'm quite happy with our Dodge Grand Caravan (7 seats plus luggage space) - probably budget end of the market but when you've got 2 young kids (and a messy wife), I don't particularly care if it's plastic and cheap. Nor do I care about Mr. Folinsky's image problem. Plenty of blokes driving them. Relatives have a Chrysler Town & Country which is quite nice, a bit more upmarket.

There's a minivan that's been advertised recently with a kick tail lift. The premise is, you're carrying a load of heavy stuff and have no hands free to unlock the rear door. So the vehicle senses the key nearby and your foot doing a kicking motion towards the rear causes it to open for you. A nice touch but not something I'd choose a car on. Can't remember what car it was anyway!

Pulaski

You've confused a mini-van (people carrier) with a conversion van (panel van with windows).The latter is not common these days.

Small cars are becoming more common, but they can make driving on highways scary, when surrounded by pick-up trucks, SUVs (4x4s), and 18 wheelers (ar-tics). Some Brits seem to manage OK with a small car, others are glad to have "stepped up" to a minivan or SUV (many are available in 2x4 versions).

Pulaski

I think you may be thinking of the Ford Escape - a cross-over SUV?

Sally Redux

If you know the exact models of car you are interested in, you can ask the insurer to quote on them for you.

I think my husband gets some nominal discount for being a professor, I doubt it will make much difference.

dickiederson

Thank you sir....Not the first and I'm sure it won't be the last Faux Pas I make over the coming year!

I'd really like a LOTUS (Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious!) but I don't think the cents will stretch for a while....!

And I've had quite a few Fix Or Repair, Daily's over the years and they've all been great....!

Jan Alaska

[There's a minivan that's been advertised recently with a kick tail lift. The premise is, you're carrying a load of heavy stuff and have no hands free to unlock the rear door. So the vehicle senses the key nearby and your foot doing a kicking motion towards the rear causes it to open for you. A nice touch but not something I'd choose a car on. Can't remember what car it was anyway!]

Thats the Ford C-Max, its like a focus but kind of taller. Lots of plastic inside, really not very attractive and prices start @ $30K }:\

GeoffM

Must be a Ford thing then. I doubt either of those would be a comfortable minivan! Reminds me of the Mazda 5 that we decided not to test drive in the UK before coming here - advertised as seating 7 but the rear passengers would have their knees up high and their heads bowed toward their knees to fit.

Nutmegger

I've had a Miata for almost 24 years -- since they first rolled off the production line, in fact! -- and it has been a super car -- fun and reliable. I am also completely heterosexual -- I didn't know one had to be butch to drive one!

PS We do have another CT resident on the site with a Miata, who will probably be along to give you the male point of view.

dickiederson

Haha thanks, maybe all is not lost!

I'm quite often mistaken for a homosexual actually so it wouldn't be a problem... :-)

Nutek

Hey Nutmegger.

Nah.. Not worth the effort. I wouldn't want to look like i'm hitting on him.

Bob

Second hand, you'll be spending more money than in the UK, don't forget the sales tax on second hand.

All depends on your budget.

Small cars, well you can get a Mazda 3/5, VW Golf, Fiat 500, etc. Can be a little scary being on the motorway in a wee car though.

For a family van, something like the Honda Odyssey? If looking for a white van, something like the Dodge Econoline something or other.

Insurance, punt for $1K per six months and you won't be far off. Unless you get a complete beater and state minimums.

Miata's are fun though....but chap above is mental for driving one in the winter Mate had a Eunos, Japanese grey import. It was a mint little motor. Till a double decker swerved to avoid someone crossing the road and drove over it...he was lucky he'd nipped across the street to get some change for the parking meter

yellowroom

Yes. I drive a Mini Cooper, like I did in the UK (one less decision to make at the time of moving). It does make you very aware of your surroundings, and very aware of the poor road surfaces of many roads.

On the plus side, incredibly economical on the fuel (40mpUSg) and I'm always getting complemented on my "cute" car in parking lots. I think the locals don't regard it as a "real" car.

S Folinsky

I just got back from court. While traveling, the version of the Mercury Cougar sold here in 1999 to 2002 struck me as perhaps of interest to you. I looked it up and it was sold as the Ford Cougar in Europe.

From 2001 to 2004 I drove a Lincoln LS which was the FMC version of the Jaguar XJ. The car was quite nice to drive, but various things would go wrong [like a rear window dropping off its track -- in the rain]. I was happy to give the car back when the lease was up. It was replaced by a 2004 BMW 525i which I purchased when the lease was up. My wife still loves the car. [BTW, I drive a 1998 Volvo S70 -- the interior is starting to look ratty but mechanically it is just fine with 157,000 miles on the clock].

I have noticed that CAR sizes in Europe and the US are really starting to converge. However, there are a ton of SUV's and pick-up trucks. BTW, on the subject of FMC, owners of Ford Pickup trucks swear by them while owners of Ford cars swear at them. A few years back, one of my offspring test drove a Focus and the badge engineered Mazda 5 -- if she had not bought her Mini, she would have purchases the Mazda and passed up on the Focus.

BTW, I seem to recall much more in the way of Japanese and Korean cars over here in the US [many of which are manufactured in the US].