Free For All Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 (edited) I know I should get on the appropriate website to ask about cars, but I'm more interested in the opinions of people I'm familiar with. My wife and I have been looking to buy a new car (my first NEW car) and we decided we wanted something that had a little more cargo space than your basic sedan 4-door. Since we bought our house it seems like we're making a lot of trips to Home Depot etc. and often need to bring big bulky items home that don't fit in a car. We were looking at minivans like the Honda Odyssey (highly rated by Consumer Reports), but can't quite spring for the price. Man, I'm amazed at what cars cost these days, but that's whole 'nother thread. They don't have any incentives/deals 'cause apparently they are selling lots of minivans w/o any additional help. Anyway, we are leaning towards getting a Subaru Forester- highly rated by CR, good price, decent mileage, minimal negative environmental impact, no frills but seems to be a solid vehicle. The "ironical" thing is that we swore that we'd NEVER buy an SUV, although this is more of a station wagon-type than a big ol' monster. Plus it has a kick-ass sound system. A big part of our decision process is finding something I can fit my 6'3" hulking mass into- that eliminates a LOT of very cool options unfortunately. The headroom in the Forester ROCKS! Anyone here own a Forester? What's the verdict? Thanks cats! Paul Edited January 8, 2004 by Free For All Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Well, I hesitate to post, since I don't know squat about new cars...but, I have listened to Clark Howard for years, and this guy can get blood from a turnip! If you get a chance, check out this page on his site.... http://clarkhoward.com/library/tips/new_car.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Thanks B- that looks like a good site. Consumer Reports linked us to some simlilar ones. One thing we want to check on is what owning a vehicle like this will do to our insurance rates. It's really not that big, like that Ford Galactica or whatever the hell it's called, but it's in THAT category I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wheel Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Since you've been checking out Subarus, did you look at the Legacy wagon? My guess is that the head and leg room would be comparable to the Forester's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Big Wheel- I did "try on" a Legacy- not happening for this mutant. Much hipper headroom in the Forester. I swear I'm not of this world- I have a giant head (hard to get glasses or hats that fit) and giant wrists (hard to get a watch that fits) so my life is a constant nightmarish tapestry of mutant issues. I won't waste your time telling you what the upside of this scenario is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wheel Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 (edited) Ok, you're gonna laugh, but...how about the Honda Element? The specs I checked indicate it's got similar room to the Forester. And the EX model's supposed to have a nice stereo. (My college job working for a company dealing with all things automotive is good for something, I guess.) Edited January 8, 2004 by Big Wheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 (edited) Funny you should mention the Element, BW, we checked it out while at the Honda dealership. Good headroom, but kind of small and boxy overall, and it seems to definitely be aimed at a younger demographic, not that we're so old or anything! The shifter is like where the temp controls usually are. Kind of a neat vehicle, though. Good suggestion, keep 'em coming. We started out checking out all the domestic vehicles- Venture, Freestar, Caravan, Town and Country etc. since I've always bought domestic, but once we checked out the Consumer Reports evaluations, it became quite obvious the better route was the Honda, Subaru, Toyota, etc. Kind of disappointing, but I'm sorry, I'm going to buy something that will be worth the high price I pay. When the domestic choices become higher rated, I'll buy those. The poor safety ratings of the domestics was certainly an issue. Edited for stupid mistakes resulting from spastic typing skills. Edited January 8, 2004 by Free For All Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wheel Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I'm a big fan of Japanese vehicles. One summer I worked a few weekends at a car-rental agency. Got to drive about half the GM line, which was almost exclusively made up of pieces of total crap. (If there's a car waiting for me in Hell, it's gotta be the Oldsmobile Intrigue. Haven't driven a Saturn but they sound like an exception.) Hondas and Toyotas just feel so much better on the road, and they're more reliable to boot. So they're boring and soulless. If I want soul in my driving experience, I'll put some Bobby Timmons in the CD player. My grandfather lets me tool around in his Toyota Prius (a gas/electric hybrid) when I go home for breaks. Now that is a hell of a machine. I cannot say enough good things about it. My first car is almost certainly going to be a hybrid vehicle of some kind, if I can afford it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 What's the deal with the hybrids? Are they getting to the point that they're reliable? Do they have any power, i.e. BALLS? Are they close to affordable? And speaking of Saturns, they are affordable, but are they worth a $hit? I've heard mixed reviews about them for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wheel Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I think the jury is still out on the reliability of hybrid cars. It's simply too early to tell. But Toyota and Honda are backing the hybrid components with big (10yr/100,000 miles in the case of the Prius) warranties, and given those companies' reputations I'm not worrying too much about it. Pricewise, they are pretty expensive for their size but less so if you consider the $2000 low-emission vehicle tax deduction you can take on them. Hopefully the federal government will renew that deduction in future years. Also, I'm guessing they will get cheaper as more of them are made. As for power...I'm not gonna lie, the Prius doesn't quite have the oomph of something else of comparable weight. However, I find that there are only a few occasions when I really miss the extra acceleration (generally I'm a little more careful when passing cars at freeway speeds). Plus, I try not to push the car too hard when I can help it, for the sake of optimizing gas mileage. At speeds up to 55 mph or so, there really is no difference that I can see in power. Can't tell you a thing about Saturns other than that I haven't heard anyone really bitching about theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 (edited) About a month ago I was searching for a small SUV or wagon to be used by my salesman. I saw the Forester and have to say I was really surprised how much I liked it. However, we ended up buying a Volvo V70 wagon recommended by a cousin of mine who works for Volvo. The incentives he was able to get me made this one hard to pass on. Big Wheel I would say, if the Forester is comfortable to you, get it. Edited January 8, 2004 by catesta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrome Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I strongly urge you to check out the all-new Chevy Malibu Maxx, which should hit dealerships pretty soon. It's got an incredibly flexible rearseat/cargo area that allows you to cram in a lot of stuff or people. The quality of the new generation of GM products is actually quite good and is certainly comparable to what the Japanese are doing. Don't get taken in by the bias toward foreign products found in most of the press, general public, etc. There isn't much of a quality gap anymore between major domestic and foreign producers ... it's all about the "perception gap" ... people are still basing their opinions on the cars/trucks Detroit put out during the 1980s. Of course, I work for GM, so I may be a bit biased myself ... but seriously, visit www.chevy.com and check out the Maxx to get started. Also, although the styling of the Pontiac Aztek is, uh, an acquired taste, they're relatively inexpensive and also offer plenty of cargo-hauling flexibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I can't say enough about how much I love my 2004 Toyota Prius. I talked a little about it at Jazz Corner's Speakeasy. However, one thing I failed to mention about my impressions after I got it is how big the interior is. Plenty of room inside this car. As for price, the base comes pretty loaded (power windows, doors, A/C, auto) at around $21.5K. Check it out. Don't fret the power... the 2004 was redesigned to address this shortcoming. It gets going very quickly. However, if you do this, the engine makes a racket and your mileage goes to hell so I don't do it very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Paul - we are on our second Forrester and love them. They do really well in snow and on ice, which is huge in Vermont. The downside is the not so great gas mileage with the AWD on constantly. I am just a bit taller than 6'3" and headroom has never been a problem, which is a huge plus for me. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the Forrester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrome Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 FYI: GM owns a chunk of Subaru ... if you like the Forester and want to mix hauling cargo w/hauling ass, check out the turbocharged version, the 2.5XT. This is actually from a review of the BMW X3 in Car and Driver: "I might have thought more of the X3 had I not driven it back-to-back with a Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Yes, the Bimmer is ritzier, offers more niceties, such as a power liftgate and hill-descent control, and handles and brakes in a league above, but it's more than two seconds slower to 60, a lot harsher in the ride department, and about 15 grand more on the bottom line. And as far as I can tell, it doesn't offer any real advantage in rear-seat space, cargo room, or all-weather traction. By itself, the X3 is an able performer, but next to the Forester, it simply seems like an inflated 3-series wagon, in both size and price." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wheel Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 The quality of the new generation of GM products is actually quite good and is certainly comparable to what the Japanese are doing. Don't get taken in by the bias toward foreign products found in most of the press, general public, etc. There isn't much of a quality gap anymore between major domestic and foreign producers ... it's all about the "perception gap" ... people are still basing their opinions on the cars/trucks Detroit put out during the 1980s. Of course, I work for GM, so I may be a bit biased myself ... but seriously, visit www.chevy.com and check out the Maxx to get started. Sorry, I have to disagree with this. I've never driven a GM car from the 1980s. My job at the car-rental agency was in 2001 and the vehicles in the fleet couldn't have been from much earlier than 1999. The cars I drove were the Chevrolet Prizm, Malibu sedan, and Cavalier, the Oldsmobile Alero and Intrigue, the Pontiac Grand Am, and a few others. None of them, with the possible exception of the Alero, came close to the handling ability of Toyota's Camry, Avalon OR Prius, as well as Honda's Accord sedan. Most of them couldn't touch the first car I drove, a 1989 Acura Legend which had 90,000 miles on it when I started driving it! As far as I'm concerned, apparent "bias" in public opinion has its roots in reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Paul - we are on our second Forrester and love them. They do really well in snow and on ice, which is huge in Vermont. The downside is the not so great gas mileage with the AWD on constantly. I am just a bit taller than 6'3" and headroom has never been a problem, which is a huge plus for me. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the Forrester. Thanks John. We bought the Forester today- we did some pricing research on the net and found a target price which the dealer went for. Plus, they are running a special with 1.9% financing. We like the deal we got, and I've been driving it around today and LOVE the headroom. I've never had an AWD vehicle, but it sure handles nicely. And it doesn't come with the guilt of a big ol' SUV- it has the same engine as the Legacy. It's actually a smaller vehicle than the Lumina it replaced. We decided to go for the 5 year bumper-to-bumper extended warranty, something I usually don't do, but in this case it seemed like a good idea. If you don't make any claims on it they will refund the total to you. We'll see how that goes. It's funny- the car comes with a 1 year bumper-to-bumper warranty (which then becomes a limited warranty with reduced coverage for the remaining two years), so it seems to me the additional purchased warranty should start the SECOND year instead of running concurrently and redundantly w/the manufacturer's, so the 5 year extension would cover years 2-6. Oh well. We're happy. :rsmile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 (edited) Wow, major congrats!!! I love station wagons (call me weird, I've been called worse). Paul, as you might remember - I drive a Honda Accord Wagon (1992), and I'd buy another Honda wagon in a heartbeat, if they still made them. Acutally, they are starting to make Honda wagons again in the U.K. (as of last year), and maybe in Europe too (well, maybe, I haven't checked into it really). In any case, that gives me a little hope that Honda will bring back their wagons in the U.S., after they stopped making them maybe 3 or 4 years ago. And yeah, I'm definitely gonna wanna see your Forester sometime. No tellin' for sure if Honda is gonna come through for me with another wagon, so I'm gonna have to keep my options open, if I really want a wagon next time. I've got about 130K-miles on my '92 Accord wagon, so I'm hoping to get another 3-5 years out of it, knock on wood. (Then again, it could die tomorrow - who knows.) Again, congrats!!! Edited January 9, 2004 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Wow, major congrats!!! I love station wagons (call me weird, I've been called worse). Thanks Rooster. It's really not an actual station wagon- they call it an "SUV-wagon". It's a four-door w/a hatchback. Full size spare inside, not on the door, which I like. I tried an Accord, too small for my hulking frame. We had to pass on many very nice vehicles 'cause they were too small for me. I'll give you a ride sometime. It's got a kickass sound system. Woofer under the passenger seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Wow, major congrats!!! I love station wagons (call me weird, I've been called worse). Weirdo! Chevy made the 2 door Nomad wagon, but Pontiac also made the Safari... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrome Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Big Wheel: I'm not going to get into an overall "foreign v. domestic" debate, but let me point two things: The 2002 Chevy Malibu (the previous generation) received the J.D. Power award for highest initial quality in the entry-level midsize segment ... topping the imports. Meanwhile, Toyota is trying desperately to cover up a major oil sludge problem affecting a possible 3 million plus vehicles. Oddly, one doesn't see too much of this kind of thing in the press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 (edited) Wow, major congrats!!! I love station wagons (call me weird, I've been called worse). Weirdo! OK, now you can REALLY call me weird -- but the station wagons I like best are IMPORT wagons from the 60's and 70's. Not the big, boxy Volvos -- but smaller wagons, like this... I hate the colors of these two (both yucky yello), but in a dark blue, or green - these are lots of fun!!!!! These two images (the yellow wagons) are both VW's from the late 60's, or very early 70's (like 1970 or maybe 1971). There are some other small-ish import wagons I've seen too, like Saabs and such, maybe Datsun too. Actually, here's a couple Datsuns... And here's a weird 2-door Datsun wagon from 1975 (the orange one). Cool. B) And the B&W one is from 1967 (I think). Also: B) Yeah, I'm weird. Edited January 9, 2004 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.