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Hi all, two part question: First off, my wife and I have two cars - a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE (hers) and a 2003 BMW 325iT M/T Wagon (mine). I'm trying to decide which of these to replace first. Hers has a lot of miles on it, almost hitting the 200k km range, while mine has about 85k km on it. They both run reasonably well, although her alternator konked out recently while on the highway which was a real hassle. It has been replaced and seems to be running fine now. My car has ran like a champ with no major issues and I have been good about regularly changing the oil (I don't buy into that BMW "every 24k km!" bullshit). But I'm always afraid there will be some pricey BMW repairs lurking ahead. So, once the choice of which one to trade up on first, the question becomes what to go to next? Well of course we have different requirements, which I will summarize: In case of Pathfinder trade up: She'd want another sport utility/crossover of some kind with a good amount of room, high visibility (she's short), easy driving and decent on fuel. AWD would be nice but not 100% required. We live up a hill and it gets snow on the top some winters. So far my top picks for her have been the Kia Sorento or the Ford Edge. Larger than the Sportage and Escape to fit our dogs, stroller, car seat etc. I'd lean more towards the crossover side than SUV, hence the Edge over the Explorer. Price range: $25-35k. In case of BMW wagon trade up: I'd want something that is fun to drive but also practical. Another RWD wagon would be ideal but BMW has lost the plot I feel. Not a fan of the E91s. I'm not opposed to going AWD either or a really nicely driving FWD. I've been burned by Audi mechanical failures in the past so they're not an option. I'm kind of interested by the look of the Kia Sportage and curious to find out how the SX drives with the turbo engine. Probably high with annoying body roll, though. Price range: $25-35k as well. Anyway hit me up with some suggestions, keen to see what I should check out, I haven't gone car shopping in forever so I'm fairly excited.
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Sep 11, 2012 19:19
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Excellent, it is a really fantastic car and I love driving it. I recently replaced the thermostat myself when it got stuck and it was surprisingly easy. My only beef with it is the stereo/speakers, really.
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Sep 11, 2012 19:37
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Thanks! I think you guys are right, I'm going to hang on to my wagon and look at shopping the Pathfinder. Any thoughts on the 2012/2013 Kia Sorento? They seem to have nice value, decent amount of power and the one I looked at in the showroom looked well put together with a lot of room. Oh I would love to check out a CTS or CTS-V wagon sometime, those would be fantastic  (but expensive, something like that not for a few years at least)
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Sep 12, 2012 06:50
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So, I've started looking to replace my wife's 2002 Nissan Pathfinder LE which she's had since new (bought as a demo) and it's starting to act up. That and its horrible mileage has spurred me into getting something new for her. Budget: Hard to say, because I'm in Canada prices are weird here. Looking at something in the mid-30s, I have some choices picked to give an idea of what kind of range below.. New/Used: New, I've never bought a new car before so this will be exciting! Body Style: SUV, she kind of insists on this. It'll be her car although I'll drive it on occasion. Useage: Commuting, errands, picking up kid(s) from daycare, taking midsize dogs to the park. Occasional car trips. I've got my eye on a couple options right now, if anyone has other suggestions or "oh god, don't buy THAT" I'm all ears: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE : Hyundai seems to have really come a long way in a short time. Impressed by their lineup! My worry about this car is the reviews mention a crappy steering feel along with limited visibility. What is it with crossovers and the gigantic rear pillar now?? 2014 Mazda CX-5 GT: Test drove one of these a while back and liked it but I found the base 2.0 engine pretty gutless. Now that they have a 2.5L it is worth another look! Probably the nicest driving feel of the small crossovers, I've heard. 2014 VW Tiguan: I'm not a huge fan of VW in general but it sounds like they are blowing these out with nice pricing and financing. Probably drives pretty nice too. I don't like how it says it needs 91 octane though. My small german sport wagon requires 91 and it's annoying. Definite Nos: These are cars that my wife has already shot down due to ride height or looks. Subarus: Ugly, and too many people at her work have one (??) Ford: Also ugly (I think the Edge looks cool) Honda CR-V: Her parents have one, so no Nissans: Doesn't like the Murano looks, Pathfinder is too expensive Toyotas: I don't care for toyotas, they're so.. bland. This whole SUV/CUV market is so packed full of competitors it is crazy.
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Jul 18, 2014 05:38
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Recent Korean cars are pretty good. Yeah I have been looking for a crossover for my wife and both the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport made the shortlist, really nicely put together vehicles. I think the Hyundai has the edge, it's just a little more upscale feeling. Gotta find out if the warranty is transferable here (Canada), that's a good point I hadn't considered.
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Jul 22, 2014 05:48
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How bout a mid to late 2000s Volvo S60? My folks had one and it was really solid and trouble free.
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Jul 24, 2014 05:46
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nm posted:First step for reliability: Stop looking at European cars. Eh, I think that's a bit overblown. I will say the S60 was not much fun to drive though, and had a turning radius that rivaled an oil tanker. But in the 7 years they had it the only things it required were oil changes and gas (bought 3 years old).
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Jul 24, 2014 05:51
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To be fair not too long ago cars could be pretty god drat sketchy. It blows me away how much better they are put together on the whole these days. To say nothing of the enhancements in safety and technology!
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Jul 27, 2014 05:14
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Budget: About $40k Canadian. Can go higher if incentives are there New or Used: New, or certified pre owned Body Style: Wagon/Hatchback, something practical but non-SUV/Minivan Usage: Mostly commuting (~15km each way), errands with 2 car seats, taking the dogs to the park Important aspects: Fun to drive, tall driver comfort, practical, nicely equipped with modern gizmos (keyless entry/start, panoramic sunroof, voice command) Currently I'm driving a 2003 BMW Wagon and I love it to bits. However, it's starting to show its age and with one toddler and another baby on the way it's getting a little cramped for 2 carseats. Plus I am a really tall guy (6'8"/2.03m) so having my seat in a comfortable position impacts the ability to fit a carseat with a kicking toddler behind me. I'm looking at the crop of the "tall" wagons like the Mercedes-Benz B class (Canada/Europe only right now I think), Kia Rondo (also only Canada?) or possibly Toyota Venza. Out of the 3 the B class is the front runner but I am waiting for the 2015 model to arrive to go check that out. The Kia is nice although kind of gutless, engine wise. I'm not a fan of Toyota's lifeless driving style and "basically an appliance" ethos either. I have looked at the Mazda 5 but was totally underwhelmed, perhaps if it gets a refresh it'll be more desireable. Personally I'd rather not get a minivan but the Honda Odyssey is probably the option there. Any other options I'm missing and should check out? Any reasons why the MB would be a horror show? I've heard about MB maintenence and it does kind of scare me, to be honest. And I'm a BMW owner!
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Dec 2, 2014 05:48
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Would it be helpful to post a dos/don'ts on test drive day? I could write something up if there's demand. This would be very cool for me at least. I like car shopping but I am bad at the etiquette, like when to start before you are ready to buy etc. How to convince them to let you take a test drive without a sales guy would be good too.
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Dec 2, 2014 20:53
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Are the non-GTI Golfs a decent sporty option? Or out of the budget? I imagine they are available with decent MTs.
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Dec 10, 2014 00:10
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It seems like every time I've seen one of those reliability surveys Land Rover is really near the bottom, if not the worst. They must be positively dire. I imagine they wouldn't be cheap repairs either.
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Dec 10, 2014 04:29
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Isn't that a sizable chunk of Toyota drivers though?
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Dec 20, 2014 01:51
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What are the real benefits in using a broker to get a car? Mostly time? A couple guys at my work used one to get their vehicles and we're really happy with doing it mostly because everything was all finalized with no bullshit back and forth. One got a new pathfinder and the other got an xc70 that was a couple years old. Both felt they could have saved maybe a couple (three) hundred more but the time saving was worth it. Thinking I might do that when I settle on what car to get, just let a broker get the best deal from whatever dealership.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:47
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Thanks, sounds worth it for me! Plus the guy comes heavily recommended by a couple of smart no nonsense guys I work with (senior to me) who were really happy with the whole thing. I'll be selling my current car privately so that reduces the complication too.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:22
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Is the Ceed the same as the Rio in North America? They look like solid little cars, especially recently. Perhaps it's because the name is C'eed or something with an apostrophe that is mucking up the search? I know they use one on Top Gear as the Reasonably Priced Car and say nice things about it.
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Jan 9, 2015 19:08
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Gently used E-Class 4MATIC wagon/5-Series wagon/A6 wagon. Out of those three what would you say the ranking would be for maintenance costs/headaches? For someone who doesn't do their own oil changes etc.
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Jan 14, 2015 22:10
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I kind of like the Flex styling personally but my wife hates it with a fiery passion so..  Also the trim line with the ecoboost is too drat expensive imho. In Canada anyway.
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Jan 15, 2015 05:21
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One thing that drives me nuts is how obtuse some manufacturers make the trim lines. Audi is the worst for that with "Komfort, Progressiv, Technik". I would have to look at the prices to be able to tell which is the top tier etc. And their website blows for actually telling you what each one adds, instead just a big word dump of ALL the features for each level. Not that I'm buying an Audi anyway. My plan is to get the trim level that offers the best engine for my needs and then add on things I'd like to have and can fit in the budget. If I ever can find something that is fun to drive, practical and affordable. So far I can only find cars that have 2 out of those 3.
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Jan 15, 2015 19:19
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cowofwar posted:Looking for a new car with a canadian MSRP < $25,000. It would be primarily for trips and local transport for me and my sporting equipment including road bikes, dive gear, camping gear, etc. An essential feature is being able to knock down the back seats and have huge cargo capacity since I do a lot of transporting large items. I am a fan of hatchbacks and wagons. Hello fellow canuck. Have you checked out the Subaru XV? It's just a hair under 25k CAD for the base model. I'd also check out the Kia Rondo, I was impressed when I checked one out as a multi-purpose vehicle with a good amount of space. Although looking at the website only the LX MT comes in below 25k, and I'm sure there are only automatics available at the dealers. The base LX model comes really nicely equipped. It's not available in the US so most folks in the thread probably don't know it.
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Jan 30, 2015 05:59
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SkaAndScreenplays posted:I've replaced the windshield on one of these working here in the states. It was Wisconsin though so basically Canada lite. I was really surprised how nice the Kias seem now. They're fighting against their rep so they have some nice standard features and a 5 year warranty. I did test drive the 2015 sorento though and hated the steering feel and plasticky interior, but it just got a major refresh for 2016 so hopefully it's improved. It's weird when we can't even rag on Kias anymore for being poo poo cars. What is this world coming to??
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Jan 30, 2015 17:23
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:When I asked about the V70R, consensus is that you should plan to plow at least $2K parts and labor in on an annual basis. I recently looked into the reliability of the euro premium brands (truedelta, CR, etc) and was surprised to find that Volvo scored pretty poorly for recent reliability. I am used to the 200 and 700 series being nigh unstoppable (with electrical gremlins being annoying in the 700s but drivetrain bulletproof). Even weirder was MB coming out pretty good, I thought they would be the worst for some reason (hello Range Rover). Does that sound reasonable? Thinking I may look at some MB wagons (b class  ).
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Feb 21, 2015 18:09
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I'm looking to move to something bigger than my e46 wagon (got carseats etc) and the new Ford Edge Sport is top of the list, right now. Drives kind of like a truck but that engine would make up for it in the fun dept (although the fuel costs from constantly mashing it at the light would add up..) I was very impressed from the test drive. Waiting for the 2016 with Sync 3 though.
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Aug 24, 2015 17:45
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Does the Dodge Journey have three rows? I have always been tempted to try one as a rental but never have. Yes, in Canada anyway. It is on my list of cars to check out along with the pricier Durango (R/T hell yeah) and grand cheerokee.
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Oct 8, 2015 02:58
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New car purchase question - If sites claim to have dealer invoice pricing (like unhaggle.com in Canada) how accurate is that and are there hidden incentives that get you below it? Or is it pretty much unless the car is on a mad clearout count on paying a certain percentage above invoice up to and including MSRP? My experience buying used has always been go in with my set price, taxes, everything in based on researching similar cars on the internet in private and dealer sales.. But this time I'm planning on going new just for a change. So tips or resources to look at are welcome!
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Oct 12, 2015 07:58
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AriTheDog posted:I paid over $1000 under invoice on a recent purchase by simply emailing dealers and asking them to give me a quote. Around here they know that if you're emailing one, you're likely emailing several so if they don't start low you'll go elsewhere. The Truecar pricing (a service that purports to offer a fair price around invoice) was far and away the worst price, often by thousands. Nice! I had emailed one already and they told me their discounted price, which was actually higher than MSRP. I need to email back asking if that is including freight & pdi or something (doubtful) but that is weird. No, it's not a honda or toyota either! (I hear they are impossible to dicker with)
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Oct 12, 2015 19:26
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My folks had a few volvos during the 80s and the 700 series were complete tanks but the electricals were huuuuge pains in the asses. Buying one with a motorized sunroof anyplace that rained was just asking for trouble. Drivetrain and engine were solid as hell, we had a 740 wagon that was still utterly flawless going over 250k km.. Apart from the power windows, which were a loving gong show. Thankfully nothing else was powered on that car, apart from the steering which was fine.
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Oct 13, 2015 00:24
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Unless bad bolt guy is required to commit seppuku, NO SALE
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Oct 13, 2015 23:34
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Cars are funny. Everyone says Volvos are good for tall folks but I can't get my knees under their massive steering columns easily. I was both disappointed (V60 is a gorgeous car) and relieved (it's pretty spendy especially in the top end trim I'd want (polestar)).
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Oct 16, 2015 22:00
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I find the panoramic type where the glass goes up and slides back is great although still cuts a little bit for the tracks where the interior fabric cover goes. I'm very tall and always avoided moon roofs in the past but next car will definitely have a panoramic roof.
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Oct 17, 2015 04:39
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Hey thread, looking to get my wife a new ride. Vehicle, that is Currently she has a 2016 Kia Sorento, and prefers the crossover due to the seating height etc. Proposed Budget: Up to $75k CAD New or Used: new, although certified pre owned with low mileage would be an option Body Style: SUV/Crossover with 3 rows How will you be using the car?: Ferrying (3) kids around and/or ferrying 2 medium sized dogs around, commuting What aspects are most important to you? 1) Practicality - loading up the kids/dogs 2) Reliability - don’t want to have to do a lot of trips to the service centre 3) Useful gizmos - around view cam, power liftgate, remote start This is in Canada (BC) Ones I have short listed so far: - Acura MDX (Platinum trim) - A couple relatives have MDXs and rave about them. The one thing here is there is a refresh coming in the fall so I was hesitant about buying the “old” model. Plus the stupid infotainment touchpad is something I feel she would complain about endlessly - Hyundai Santa Fe (new one) - Boxy contender, all new design, looks like some good tech. Downside is her previous car was a Santa Fe Sport and she “wants something different from hyundai” - Hyundai Pallisade/Kia Telluride - basically the same as above, a little hesitant to get yet another kia/hyundai. Tellurides seem to be all but unavailable around here due to demand. - Kia EV9 - wild card, potentially getting into a full EV. We have a L2 charger at home for my car (PHEV) and so could keep it charged. Seems expensive for a Kia though at the trim we’d want. - Mazda CX-90 - New design so a bit hesitant, 3rd row seems extremely small compared to other options even for kids. I would have liked to look at a minivan but she refuses to get a minivan, so welp. Anyway interested if there are any good suggestions - Ford Explorer? Some GM thing? I have no experience with domestics.
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Apr 6, 2024 18:31
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Dr. Lunchables posted:Man you have really need a minivan. Yeah, it usually works out that we just need the 3rd row fairly infrequently but it is useful when it is there. Normally the 3rd row is down for dog carriers in the back. The full size ones are probably a bit too large for our needs. Believe me I tried selling the minivan idea  Would probably go for the Carnival, they have a new hybrid coming out. But my wife is extremely stubborn.
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Apr 6, 2024 19:10
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Oh yeah a VW Atlas is on the short list too, forgot about that one. Really the 3rd row is just to be usable in a pinch. The Sorento size is fine for us and the 3rd row is good to jam a kid and extra kid friend in the back if we're taking them all out someplace. We're not road tripping with it or anything. 80% of the time the 3rd row is down and there are dog carriers back there for taking them to the park. The oldest kid can ride in the front so that helps and thankfully only the youngest still needs a booster.
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Apr 7, 2024 05:33
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In my car shopping for the wife I have kind of been interested in the new Hyundai Santa Fe which has a cheater 3rd row. But then I watched a video by the car confections guys going over how the transmission failed on theirs within the first 50 miles so now I don’t know about that one. Fancy DCT I guess. A lot of the decision will be based on what is actually available on lots without a 6mo+ wait (which apparently all minivans are at least that much of a wait except possibly the Kia carnival). Can’t even test drive stuff which takes the fun out of car shopping!
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Apr 14, 2024 17:37
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Twerk from Home posted:Every time I'm at the Kia dealer for service, I ask if there's a Carnival I can look at, but I don't think there's ever been one actually in stock at any of the 3 Kia dealers nearby me at any point in history. We're sniffing around the minivan market but it's still really hard to find any at all. Yeah I was just in at the Kia dealer yesterday getting an oil change on my sorento and they did have a carnival in the show room and I asked what availability is like and the sales guy gave me the “ehhh” look. I think no manufacturer makes a lot of minivans anymore with more production going to crossovers, despite a fairly healthy demand for minivans! The funny thing is going to a Toyota lot these days and seeing 50+ bz4x pieces of poo poo just sitting there because no one wants that garbage. Not a slam against EVs, EVs sell fine just god those particular models are awful.
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Apr 14, 2024 19:40
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Those new Prius look pretty snazzy, they did a pretty good job with that design! That new Santa Fe is pretty polarizing, I like the boxy look but my wife and son hate it. So guess not.
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Apr 15, 2024 20:59
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Motronic posted:The 5th gen does indeed look very good. The 4th gen rear/tail lights are aggressively ugly and terrible and they've lost 100% of that design language. Thankfully. Yeah it was such a massive change I didn’t recognize it as a Prius until I saw the text on the back. I quite like the look of them now.
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Apr 15, 2024 21:47
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I had a post facelift e46 wagon (rwd 5spd) and the engine was bulletproof on that thing. Loved that car. Red with tan interior. The goddamn xenon headlights were a huge pain in the rear end though and replacing the ballast cost a buttload.
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Apr 21, 2024 16:49
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I can never figure out the Audi model numbering anymore
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Apr 22, 2024 23:11
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I think I mentioned I have been eyeballing the new Hyundai Santa Fe as a new car for my wife (she had a Santa Fe sport from a couple generations ago but the base trim and didn’t love it but it was overall a pretty decent car). Was shocked to watch the recent savageese video on the new one and they positively gushed over it. They seem pretty cynical in their reviews (in a good, humorous way) but they seemed really impressed. I guess I need to go check one out for real!
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Apr 30, 2024 15:46
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