Please recommend a reliable car

[Paula Sims]

Hi all,
We've had it with out SAAB (GM version). It's a 2003 and has more than its fair share of problems. In addition, I got into it with GM today about their not holding up their end of the extended GM warranty (they figure since they sold SAAB they don't care) so we're looking for another car. Our car has only 123k. Our Volvo had over 250k before it started to nickle & dime us to death. I still have my 1988 Honda Accord but it's long in the tooth and Hondas are too low for us (translation: our knees can't handle it). We don't want an SUV, we prefer a wagon, but will go that way if we have to. And obviously from my previous post, I don't want a GM. We're looking to put on at least 16k a year.

So, given that, any recommendations for another car/wagon? My parents would never get a used car because they "didn't want anyone else's problems" and now that people are holding on to cars longer, it seems like a good used car would be rare. We wouldn't mind another Volvo wagon but now that it's owned by the Chinese, I'm not sure about the quality. (Yes, SAAB was still made in Sweden but GM was pulling the purse-strings).

Thanks for your help

Paula

[femmocrat]

1. We have had good luck with Hondas.

We had about 4 or 5 of them.

[pink-o]

2. toyota or honda

sorry to be cliche but I've owned both these brands, all used, and not had any problems with them. In spite of the recalls, my Corolla has been awesome. And you can drive and drive them, as long as you keep 'em maintained they'll last forever and always start up.

Not glamorous or sexy, but totally dependable.

[LaurenG]

18. this!

I had a 1989 corolla that I just gave to goodwill. Over 200k on the odometer.

[Gold Metal Flake]

3. Ford Focus.

I have two of them.

Made all over the world. Very reliable, low cost. 28+ MPG typical.

Cost less than Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic or Accord. Get one under 100K miles with a clear history report (http://www.autocheck.com">Auto Check costs less than Carfax, same info).

[Bennyboy]

4. SUBARUS rock!

Seriously, I have a ton of friends with Subarus and they all love them dearly and that is why you seldom see them for sale. They are comfy, have all the right stuff in all the right places, are four wheel drive, get great gas mileage and are great driving cars.

[Xithras]

5. You want a high riding wagon?

The Ford Edge crossover is a really good car that has wagon-like room and a high stance that makes it easy to get in to. I've personally had mixed luck with Ford reliability in the past, but most Edge owners I know are pretty happy with them.

Other than that, you might also want to take a look at Subaru's lineup. A high ride (I have a bad knee too, and can appreciate not having to squat to get in), good space, and reasonable MPG's. They also have PZEV models that are incredibly eco friendly. I have an older model forester and am not a huge fan of the more SUV-like current generation Forester, but the Outback wagon is still a great option.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Honda and Toyota have both been good to me. I now have

a Toyota Matrix, which is essentially a Corolla with a wagon body. It is high enough that I don't have to fight to get out of it, but low enough that I don't have to fight to get in. If you don't mind a little smaller, I looked at the Honda Fit and it was nice too.

[Paula Sims]

7. Thanks for the help!!

Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for your suggestions. Keep 'em coming!!

Paula

P.S. My husband was almost a 99-er (got a temp job at 90 weeks). We really need to save our pennies now!!

[ileus]

8. Anything Honda

[dimbear]

9. The most reliable car is a Simca or a Tatra or some such

defunct trash. They never run. You can always rely on that.

[JTG of the PRB]

10. Subarus.

Subarus, a thousand times Subarus. The most reliable cars I have ever driven. I leaned to drive on a Subaru, my first car was a Subaru, and the first car I've bought (my current car) is a Subaru. They're great in all types of weather, they're built to last... I don;t think I'll ever drive anything but a Subaru!

[elleng]

11. Too bad used Toyos are out, as they're a good deal and WORK.

I've got my folks' '93 wagon, going great.

[krispos42]

12. Might try a Subaru outback edition

The Outbacks are a bit higher than the regular Subarus, but not SUV-high. My uncle has an '03 Forester and that's a good hight for my grandparents to get into. My dad's Pathfinder is a bit of a chore for them.

I had an Impreza Outback Sport, a sportwagon with a bit more ground clearance. It ran pretty well. Had two mechanical problems, both fixed under warranty. One was a clogged catalytic converter (they later recalled the car to remove a valve that might put bubbles in the fuel line and cause... clogged catalytic converters), and the other was a burnt-out engine bearing. It was a factory flaw and they replaced the engine under warranty and paid for a car rental.

Oh, and they're also safe. I walked way without even a bruise.








A Volvo S60 slammed into the trailer I was towing, jack-knifing me across I-95 and sending the U-Haul tumbing down the highway. Then the Volvo proceeded to T-bone me on the passenger's side.

I didn't realize it at the the time, but the arm of the trailer actually pierced the trunk area of my Subie like a spear!

My cat was back there... she was unharmed, but very unhappy.

[seabeyond]

13. i am liking my lincoln mks. nt

[Highway61]

14. Subaru

hands down.

[av8rdave]

15. I bought an '07 Hyundai Elantra for my daughter to use at school

Had 20K on it when I bought it, has about 90K on it now. I can't tell you how impressed I've been with that car. Comfortable, economical, and reliable. She hasn't had to put one thin dime into the car other than gas and normal maintenance. It's a nice car to drive as well. Very quiet and comfortable. She loves it, and so do I.

[old mark]

16. We are on our second Hyundai*, a SantaFe SUV, and we both think it is the best thing

we ever drove. We had terrible cars from Toyota and VW (2), an OK Nissan and Ford, and a very nice old Oldsmobile (no longer made). I would never buy another VW, nor another Toyota. I would buy another older GM car or another Hyundai in a minute if I needed one - I am looking at an old Buick right now, but more for fun than seriously - I don't need it, but I'd really like to have it.

If you drive a Huyndai, you WILL want to buy one.


mark

* We drove the first Hyundai - a 2000 Elantra - every day for 10 years in all sorts of weather, replaced a battery and a window motor, traded it for a used Santa Fe

[grace0418]

17. We have a Subaru Outback but I can't say it's reliable, sadly. We've been to the mechanic with

that car more than any other car we've owned put together. And the parts are expensive. Of course, our other cars have all been Hondas, so I guess that's a high bar of reliability. But I know you said Hondas are too low to the ground, which I understand.

I wish Honda made a car like the Outback. As it is we may end up with a CRV even though I've always had a strict no SUV rule. We need something reliable that we can drive during the winter. Our other car is a Civic and we park her on the street, so in the winter it's difficult to get her in and out of parking spaces. And I plan to replace her with a Honda Fit when the time comes (the Civic is eleven years old but still running great) so we'll still have the winter parking problem. The CRV is a bit more vehicle than I want, but after my experience with our Subaru I'm going back to Honda.