I hate my car. I really hate it. I mean, the poltergeist was kind of the last straw. But even before that:
- It gets terrible gas mileage.
- I bought it because I thought keeping the dogs in the way back would help keep it clean, but it doesn’t.
- I’ve spent a TON of money on repairs already. Plus, I have to get a new catalytic converter before my next inspection, and when I went to get the oil changed yesterday, “rear brakes blah, CV joint blah, struts blah blah”.
I’m done. I still owe $4,200 on it because I borrowed against it to do repairs and upgrades on my old house, but I don’t care. I want a different car.
I can’t afford a new one, naturally, but I want to get a one- to three-year old, manual transmission, smaller/less heavy, Japanese automobile. I probably can’t afford that either, but let’s say I could. What should or shouldn’t I get?
Get a Kia or Hyundai. I know, they’re not Japanese, but 10 years or 100,000 is pretty good. And they’re inexpensive.
i adore my subarus. so sorry to hear you got a lemon. i get 24 miles to the gallon after 140,000 miles. it’s easy to haul stuff in. and i admit mine was, if not a lemon, a monday car. but after working the kinks out its given me my money;s worth and then some.
i looked at kia sorrento. liked it a lot, but didn’t think it was big enough for 2 dogs and luggage up to NE. but maybe if there’s only one person . . .
Used forester or outback, prolly…
i loved my ’97 honda civic (the rhinestone cowgirl – yes, i bedazzled her) before i wrecked it last year. 100k miles on it and still got 37mpg highway. now i have a 2010 toyota corolla – seems to be equally good so far. if those are too small for you might want to consider a honda fit (small footprint but bigger inside) or a toyota matrix – i have friends with both and they’ve been very happy.
good luck!
We have two Honda Fits – ’07 and ’11. 35-40 MPG. Fold down seats – hatch back. Kick ass stereo system. Both manual transmission. Extremely reliable. Inexpensive.
Dan, the Outback is the one I have and don’t like.
I’ve been ogling the Matrix online today….
Why Manual transmission?
Because Manual transmissions are cool. Duh!
I’m surprised you have had that much trouble with your Subaru, they are typically really good/reliable cars. Catalytic converters, brakes and struts are all normal “wear and tear” parts that have to be dealt with on a regular basis, so those aren’t “lemon issues” but general maintenance (like changing tires, fluids, hoses and belts).
If you care about the resale value at all, get a Toyota or a Honda.
My Toyota Camry, Lucille, gets at least a good +30mpg consistently, after 210k miles and 10 years. I love her. Toyota’s where it’s at.
I learned on a stick shift, and I’ve always owned stick shifts. It’s hard for me to imagine owning an automatic. (Though there have been times—say, stop and go traffic outside of DC—when I would’ve traded my left leg not to have to change another fucking gear.)
I know, Dug. Subarus are generally good. My brother and I drove an ’83 GL into the ground. On the Outback, I’ve had the fluids done regularly, and I replaced the belts, hoses, tires, spark plugs, and spark plug wires within the last year. And now there’s the catalytic converter, struts, CV joint, and brakes. Maybe I’m just being resentful because it feels like so much all at once. Also, I think the Outback has just never felt like *me*. I was always a Civic girl before this.
amy, have you ever taken this survey: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/auto_/inputSummary.do
it’s FUN!
it may help you come up with a make/model you haven’t considered before…
it keeps telling us that we should look at a ford focus. (?)
I loved my ford focus! And I was a stick shift girl too forever. Now I am not. And now I love automatic.
HA! Melissa! I just took your quiz, and it told me to get a CRV and that is what I have. :)
I love my Mazda Protege 5
Hey, saw you last night at Story Slam. Really enjoyed your hosting. Cannot say enough good things about Toyota in General and Matrix in particular,(had two new and 3 used Toyotas. If you take care of them, they run forever. I have a 2007 Matrix and love it. Great gas milage 32 mpg, TONS of space in back, have really nothing bad to say at all. I plan on having this car past 250k miles before I’m done. Toyotas also hold their value, every used one I have sold, I got good money for.
Hi, Anne! Welcome!
I may or may not go test drive some cars this week. I’ve also been thinking about getting a SmartPhone to replace my DumbPhone, but it’s going to have to be one or the other, car or 21st century technology, but not both.
we could trade cars! our next one will most likely be an Outback, then you can have my piece-o-shit Elantra that seems to fit most of your criteria!
p.s. i LOOOOOOOOVE car shopping. please invite me to test drive cars with you, you would make me really happy.
Thank you for your post. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my issue. It helped me a lot and I hope it will also help others.
May I request more information on the subject? All of your articles are extremely useful to me. Thank you!
Good web site! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
Please provide me with more details on the topic
May I have information on the topic of your article?
I enjoyed reading your piece and it provided me with a lot of value.
Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my problem. It helped me a lot and I hope it will help others too.
Your articles are very helpful to me. May I request more information?
I enjoyed reading your piece and it provided me with a lot of value.
Thank you for your articles. I find them very helpful. Could you help me with something?
Thank you for sharing this article with me. It helped me a lot and I love it.
Thank you for sharing this article with me. It helped me a lot and I love it.
Please provide me with more details on the topic
Thank you for your articles. They are very helpful to me. May I ask you a question?
Thank you for your post. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my issue. It helped me a lot and I hope it will also help others.
I want to thank you for your assistance and this post. It’s been great.
You’ve the most impressive websites.
Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my problem. It helped me a lot and I hope it will help others too.
Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this website. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s challenging to get that “perfect balance” between usability and visual appearance. I must say you’ve done a great job with this. Also, the blog loads very quick for me on Chrome. Excellent Blog!
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it!
Thanks for the helpful posting. It is also my belief that mesothelioma has an extremely long latency time, which means that signs of the disease won’t emerge right up until 30 to 50 years after the first exposure to asbestos fiber. Pleural mesothelioma, that’s the most common variety and has effects on the area round the lungs, might cause shortness of breath, chest muscles pains, as well as a persistent coughing, which may bring on coughing up maintain.
The core of your writing while appearing agreeable at first, did not really sit very well with me after some time. Somewhere within the paragraphs you managed to make me a believer unfortunately just for a very short while. I nevertheless have a problem with your jumps in logic and one would do well to fill in all those gaps. In the event you can accomplish that, I would certainly end up being amazed.
I have learned quite a few important things through your post. I’d also like to mention that there may be situation that you will apply for a loan and never need a co-signer such as a National Student Support Loan. But if you are getting credit through a standard bank then you need to be willing to have a co-signer ready to make it easier for you. The lenders will certainly base their own decision over a few aspects but the largest will be your credit standing. There are some loan providers that will additionally look at your job history and determine based on that but in most cases it will be based on on your scores.
Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all. But think of if you added some great pictures or videos to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and videos, this website could certainly be one of the most beneficial in its field. Superb blog!
I have noticed that online education is getting well-known because obtaining your degree online has developed into a popular solution for many people. A huge number of people have certainly not had an opportunity to attend a traditional college or university but seek the raised earning potential and a better job that a Bachelors Degree gives you. Still other folks might have a degree in one discipline but wish to pursue something they already have an interest in.
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Great work!