Keep or get a new car?

[drrpm]

I avoided getting a minivan for years but eventually my wife wanted one because she was tired of driving the Suburban. We got a Honda Odyssey and it was a great all round vehicle. It was decent to drive, comfortable on long trips, good for hauling kids, etc. and a fine car camping vehicle. I was really pissed when my middle daughter totaled it. We never had a significant problem with it in the 10 1/2 years we owned it and I wanted to use it to teach the last kid to drive. I don't really need a van anymore so it was replaced with a used CRV.

 

[southkogs]

After my first station wagon (I was 23), I couldn't fathom not having the space for "stuff" when I needed it so we always had a wagon or van around. We've owned a couple of mini-vans, but we really have liked the full-size vans we've had (on our second). The conversion van was really cool especially on road trips.

 

[dingbat]

We bought a Jeep Cherokee when we got married. Traded that in on a new V8 Grand Cherokee when the youngest was born. Sold that and bought a new Tahoe when the youngest was born. The purchase of a new Grady White walk around had nothing to do with decision to buy the Tahoe


Fast forward 22 years, oldest daughter now a senior U of Maryland and the youngest is a freshman in community college.


Still have the Tahoe but long since retired to towing and beach buggie duty. Mrs. Dingbat is driving a Honda Accord EX-L. I regressed and now drive a Honda Civic SI Coupe.

 

[keith2k455]

I'm a total car guy. Please remember that bigger doesn't mean safer, especially in the marginal front impact tests (think guard rail). Also, Suvs have a tendency to roll over. I do believe the cars of today are leaps more reliable than those of 10 yrs ago (generally)

I feel your pain on the space though. You do need something that will hold that boat anchor of a rear facing child sear you will be using for 2 years.


My wife and I have 4 cars, each for a different purpose. My 2012 Hyundai Sonata Turbo was bought in the rear car seat phase. It fit the rear facing seats fine, gets good mpg and is quick. This is my daily driver. Wife Has A Kia Sorento, She Loves It And has Plenty of room. Both these cars have side impact, roll over, curtain airbags. Wife's sorento also has blind spot, lane keep and all the other controls. We also have the 2003 escalade tow rig and a Chevy SS. The SS isn't safety rated since it's just a rebadged Holden from down under.

Point of all this is I bought the kia and hyundai to use every day as family vehicles. If I had to choose any of these to be in a big accident with, it would be the sonata or sorent as a no brainer. I think the SS or escalade in an accident could get scary really quick.

 

[thumpar]

Bigger is not always safer but I want to be higher than the thing that hits me. Most of the tests are not real world. Take a my Yukon and have a frontal impact. It will go on top of most cars on the road. Another thing is I can see much more of the road because I sit higher. I can see dangers up ahead well before most cars can. Some minivans do this also. My Safaris sat high but the inlaws caravan was like driving a car and felt like I was dragging my but on the ground.

 

[WIMUSKY]

We also have the 2003 escalade tow rig and a Chevy SS. The SS isn't safety rated since it's just a rebadged Holden from down under.

Did not know that about the SS. I know the late model GTOs were rebadged Holdens....

 

[bruceb58]

The SS isn't safety rated since it's just a rebadged Holden from down under.

What year is the SS? I was pretty sure it was made in North America and shipped to Australia. You talking about the car or the truck?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Well the truck was an SSR made between 2003 and 2006, I believe....

I believe you're right about the SS, Bruce...

 

[bruceb58]

The 1/2 ton truck was an SS. There was an SSR but it was a miserable vehicle that didn't sell much.

 

[WIMUSKY]

The 1/2 ton truck was an SS. There was an SSR but it was a miserable vehicle that didn't sell much.

I see a yellow SSR at every car show I go to, it's the same one. I overheard him once say that he only drives it to car shows. I thought why? It's not like its a collectors item.... Whatever........

Was there an SS pickup in the 2000s? I know the 90s had them. Did they bring it back?

 

[bruceb58]

Was there an SS pickup in the 2000s? I know the 90s had them. Did they bring it back?

Up until 2006. It came with the 6.0L which normally wasn't available in a 1/2T truck.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Up until 2006. It came with the 6.0L which normally wasn't available in a 1/2T truck.

I can't keep track anymore. All I know is, I would like a new Challenger SRT8. Now if I wanted to dream, a Hellcat.......

 

[keith2k455]

Our SS is 2014 SS sedan. SS is the model. It's the trimmed out Holden Commodore with an LS3 that is built in Australia and shipped here. 6.2litres and 415 hp. It's a base vette or camaro ss in 4 door skin.

 

[jkust]

So then what was the final verdict? Wait and see or keep the Avalon. My take is that I'm not hearing any great reason to move from the Avalon. My other take is that when the kids were younger we did do the whole minivan thing against my will only to find out it was maybe the best vehicle we ever owned. Versatile, good mileage, could carry a full sheet of plywood and actually towed my 4000lb boat for a few months with it. We've been kicking the idea around of going full circle to one now that we are traveling to our lake home so often and are always short of room in the suv. The other thing I will mention is that I'm pretty frugal when it comes to cars...I always want the world but am not willing to pay for it. As I am in MN and our cars here are severely overpriced, I discovered years back that southern state's and some depressed states' cars sell at a huge discount to my local prices. I've bought almost every car I've owned since 1998 from southern or depressed states and still save a ton having them shipped up to my door.