My wife and I are 'Mericans, which means we could stand to miss a meal or two. The wife is complaining that our trusty Fiat 500 simply does not fit. I was wondering what new car we should look at if comfort and low operating costs for 150k miles were our top priorities. The VW Passat seemed pretty good with a lot of room and good gas mileage, but VW reliabilty has a poor track record. Any money we save in gas gets eaten by repair bills. The Toyota Prius isn't much wider than the Fiat, so it doesn't fit either. Anything else we should be looking at? What we need is a car with lots of room in the front seats, great gas mileage, and low maintenance.
Cheapest New Car For Comfort?
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Chevy impala or Toyota avalon if you want comfort over fuel economy.
Nissan Altima or Honda Accord if you want a little more fuel economy over comfort.
You didn't mention your budget though.
Nissan Altima or Honda Accord if you want a little more fuel economy over comfort.
You didn't mention your budget though.
I just rented a Dodge Charger(3.5L) and was pleasantly surprised. 28(35+hwy) mpg round trip from Orlando and a lot of idling in Miami. Nice Car!! That kind of mileage and 300hp in a car that size is a winner. It's a lot for me to say that since I owned a 94 Ram 1500 which was the worst piece of garbage ever to roll on four wheels and I swore off Dodge garbage for eternity.
Edit: The car had 148 miles on it when I picked it up so I can't vouch for how it will hold up.
Edit: The car had 148 miles on it when I picked it up so I can't vouch for how it will hold up.
In my experience, Ford, Mazda, Toyota and Volvo seats seem to hold up the best over time. If you don't mind Firm seats, the Ford Fusion is a good choice. They feel stiff at first, but get better with age. I thought it was a tad stiff when I first sat in one at the dealer. I have been in a few and I find the seats supportive and comfortable, even on long drives. I really like the Focus as well, but friends say the sides of the seat back feel a bit narrow. The Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 have great seats as well. The ones I rode in are a few years old. I prefer the seats in the Mazda 3, but the 6 has wider seats.
Impalas are great to, but not really affordable anymore.
I think the seats in all of the Kia models are comfortable as well. Especially the Forte. But I have never been in one with more than 1000 miles, so I have no idea about long term durability.
Impalas are great to, but not really affordable anymore.
I think the seats in all of the Kia models are comfortable as well. Especially the Forte. But I have never been in one with more than 1000 miles, so I have no idea about long term durability.
We have had our diesel Passat for two years now and love it. It is MOST spacious inside, with the backseat room reminiscent of the old Checker cabs (almost). The mileage is phenomenal at over 55 on long trips. We have had zero issues to date with this vehicle.
My wife and I went back and forth, back and forth some more between the Honda Accord and Chevy Malibu. We wanted a mid-size sedan. I excluded VW because of reliability. The Malibu was about $1000 cheaper but the 5 year cost of ownership favored the Accord. I'm from a GM family but less trips to the repair shop pushed me to choose the Accord.
we had GM products til 84 when our 84 Olds Ciera, a great car for room and economy, , had too many things wrong with it (GM execs still made millions that year)
then we gave up, moved to Honda and Toyota.
then we gave up, moved to Honda and Toyota.
Check out a Ford C-Max model. I didn't even know they existed until I saw one in the dealers showroom back in April. Sits up higher than most cars, easy to get into and out of, fantastic head room and legroom, and great MPG's!
They come as either a Hybrid or a Plug In Hybrid which is what I got. There was an $8000.00 rebate when I got mine, and the dealer also did some deep discounting on it. The ride is great, plenty of creature comforts, and MPG equivalent right around 95 when I figure in the electric portion of miles driven. The Hybrid models are getting 40-50 MPG from what I have read on a forum.
It costs me less than $1.00 to fully charge the battery which right now returns between 24 and 28 miles before needing a recharge. The gas engine kicks in when the battery is low so you are not limited to just the electric range.
I am the last person to have thought I would be driving a "green" vehicle, but this car fits all of my needs at a great price. It's a shame Ford hasn't advertised this car more. I just returned from Ft Wayne Indiana where I saw the a city parking enforcement unit employee driving a C-Max Hybrid.
They come as either a Hybrid or a Plug In Hybrid which is what I got. There was an $8000.00 rebate when I got mine, and the dealer also did some deep discounting on it. The ride is great, plenty of creature comforts, and MPG equivalent right around 95 when I figure in the electric portion of miles driven. The Hybrid models are getting 40-50 MPG from what I have read on a forum.
It costs me less than $1.00 to fully charge the battery which right now returns between 24 and 28 miles before needing a recharge. The gas engine kicks in when the battery is low so you are not limited to just the electric range.
I am the last person to have thought I would be driving a "green" vehicle, but this car fits all of my needs at a great price. It's a shame Ford hasn't advertised this car more. I just returned from Ft Wayne Indiana where I saw the a city parking enforcement unit employee driving a C-Max Hybrid.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
He explained his situation and what he was looking for. If he and his wife were asking for diet advice this would be in a different forum section...
//
OP, I'm only 6' 200# (not big, but not small, either) and I agree that American-made cars do seem to fit better. My old Ford Focus was great, though it did suck in other ways. My Subarus have been great for head room, but the seats are never really very comfortable - that was part of the trade off I was willing to accept.
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
He explained his situation and what he was looking for. If he and his wife were asking for diet advice this would be in a different forum section...
//
OP, I'm only 6' 200# (not big, but not small, either) and I agree that American-made cars do seem to fit better. My old Ford Focus was great, though it did suck in other ways. My Subarus have been great for head room, but the seats are never really very comfortable - that was part of the trade off I was willing to accept.
I had a 2013 Hyundai Sonata rental for about a 900 mile day, and I thought it was plenty comfortable, even though it was a base model unit. It got fantastic mileage out on the interstate, around 36mpg.
Plus, they're not that expensive... and even the base models come with plenty of goodies.
Plus, they're not that expensive... and even the base models come with plenty of goodies.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
He explained his situation and what he was looking for. If he and his wife were asking for diet advice this would be in a different forum section...
No diet advice was offered was it? If the "trusty Fiat 500" his words fit before and not now it's worth considering the cause. The logical choice would be a full size SUV and skip the middle steps if this is the preferred solution.
Since only strictly on point answers are allowed here I'll suggest you don't bother looking at a RAV4.
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
He explained his situation and what he was looking for. If he and his wife were asking for diet advice this would be in a different forum section...
No diet advice was offered was it? If the "trusty Fiat 500" his words fit before and not now it's worth considering the cause. The logical choice would be a full size SUV and skip the middle steps if this is the preferred solution.
Since only strictly on point answers are allowed here I'll suggest you don't bother looking at a RAV4.
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We bought a 2015 Toyota Camry a couple months ago and we love it. Taken it on a couple longer trips and have to say the SE model is very comfy. Seats hold you in well and the suspension does well on those country back roads. Fuel economy with alot of town driving has netted us 30mpg +. Even with the 2.5 4 cylinder it does have a good amount of get-up and go. We picked up our early 15' model for about 20K out the door.
Now that said the Golf Sport Wagon would be one I'd look at if I were not needing a truck for the replacement of my Jetta. So far it looks promising. I haven't heard any bad out of the new style 1.8 turbo.
Now that said the Golf Sport Wagon would be one I'd look at if I were not needing a truck for the replacement of my Jetta. So far it looks promising. I haven't heard any bad out of the new style 1.8 turbo.
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Originally Posted By: 3311
I just rented a Dodge Charger(3.5L) and was pleasantly surprised. 28(35+hwy) mpg round trip from Orlando and a lot of idling in Miami. Nice Car!! That kind of mileage and 300hp in a car that size is a winner. It's a lot for me to say that since I owned a 94 Ram 1500 which was the worst piece of garbage ever to roll on four wheels and I swore off Dodge garbage for eternity.
Edit: The car had 148 miles on it when I picked it up so I can't vouch for how it will hold up.
I drove a 2011 Charger for a couple of years,
Yes indeed comfy on long trips, good mileage but,
really not the easiest vehicle to get in/out of for daily around town usage.
(and I'm only 5'8" and in good shape)
I just rented a Dodge Charger(3.5L) and was pleasantly surprised. 28(35+hwy) mpg round trip from Orlando and a lot of idling in Miami. Nice Car!! That kind of mileage and 300hp in a car that size is a winner. It's a lot for me to say that since I owned a 94 Ram 1500 which was the worst piece of garbage ever to roll on four wheels and I swore off Dodge garbage for eternity.
Edit: The car had 148 miles on it when I picked it up so I can't vouch for how it will hold up.
I drove a 2011 Charger for a couple of years,
Yes indeed comfy on long trips, good mileage but,
really not the easiest vehicle to get in/out of for daily around town usage.
(and I'm only 5'8" and in good shape)
A Smart ForTwo might work for you guys.
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
Been there, done that, and now I am in better shape but 15 lbs heavier.
Will take a look at a Malibu and Ford Hybrid. How is the reliability of a modern GM car like the Malibu?
Did you consider downsizing yourselves rather than upsizing your car? Had to ask.
Been there, done that, and now I am in better shape but 15 lbs heavier.
Will take a look at a Malibu and Ford Hybrid. How is the reliability of a modern GM car like the Malibu?
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