Thinking about Next Vehicle

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My Sonata is getting up there in miles. I'm not yet in a position to buy my dream vehicle, an F-150 crew cab, so its gonna have to be another sedan. I absolutely don't want a car payment or as little of one as possible. What are some excellent medium and large sedans? Ideally I'd like to pick up something with high depreciation for cheap, 3-5 years old.. I'm open to suggestions. I'm not loyal to any brand.

Are Chryslers worth a darn these days? I've sworn them off over the years. I love the looks of the current 300.
 
300 is a great car and a killer deal. Mercedes chassis, excellent 3.6 engine (if you go V6) mated to a ZF designed transmission. If I was in the market for a sedan, I'd give it a close look. It's comfortable, drives great and the interior is nice once it went through the 2011 refresh.
 
Chrysler's can be found under priced. I believe they are much better than the public perception of them. You might find an excellent value. My Dodge Ram and Caravan served me well for years and years.

BTW, notice Kia, of all things, leads the JD Power initial quality ranking for 2017. Kia #1, imagine that...
 
That's great to hear about the 300!

Nick, my Sonata has a been a source of anger and frustration for me. Hyundai has left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not out of the question, but I'd like to consider other brands before another Korean unit.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
300 is a great car and a killer deal. Mercedes chassis, excellent 3.6 engine (if you go V6) mated to a ZF designed transmission. If I was in the market for a sedan, I'd give it a close look. It's comfortable, drives great and the interior is nice once it went through the 2011 refresh.

I think you're right. The 300 does look like a pretty reasonable option. On average, it's not going to be as reliable as the very best of the breed, but all the major manufacturers make at least a pretty good car these days. And anyway there's scatter in those reliability scores. The best manufacturers make a few lemons and you will always find someone with an older high mileage (XXX - almost anything) who has had absolutely no trouble with it.

I had a Chrysler Corp rental car for a week a few years ago, and liked it quite a lot. I've rented a lot of cars over the years and it was a lot nicer than the typical super basic import.

The other option would be to buy something old with known good reliability. One example would be a much older W123 Mercedes 300D. You can get a really good one for less than $10,000 and with lots of TLC, drive it just about forever. If I needed a "new" car and was tight for money that's likely what I'd get. Another option would be a Ford Crown Victoria.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Buick LaCrosse Turbo. The throttle response is unreal and the body feels super tight.


LaCrosse is an excellent choice too. I didn't know they made a turbo. The 3.6 is very nice.
 
I don't think Buick offers a Lacrosse turbo. Regal yes. On the Chrysler 300 go to the 300 forums & see if they addressed the weak front end issue. Good luck.
 
Mazda6i is your first choice, especially 09-13 model right now

Second, Fusion
 
My wife & I purchased a 2006 Buick Lacrosse CX 3.9l with 37,ooo + original miles for $ 6,250 , out the door . 90% - 95% condition . So par we are good . :)
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
300 is a great car and a killer deal. Mercedes chassis, excellent 3.6 engine (if you go V6) mated to a ZF designed transmission. If I was in the market for a sedan, I'd give it a close look. It's comfortable, drives great and the interior is nice once it went through the 2011 refresh.

Slight correction: Only some parts were derived from the '03-'09 Mercedes E-Class. That's something, but it's a far cry from a Mercedes chassis.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: dishdude
300 is a great car and a killer deal. Mercedes chassis, excellent 3.6 engine (if you go V6) mated to a ZF designed transmission. If I was in the market for a sedan, I'd give it a close look. It's comfortable, drives great and the interior is nice once it went through the 2011 refresh.

Slight correction: Only some parts were derived from the '03-'09 Mercedes E-Class. That's something, but it's a far cry from a Mercedes chassis.


Further correction. Far more torsional stiffness than a Porsche 911 of the same year it was released. The first 4 door passenger car to use hydroformed chassis components.

The front end was derived from the e class, the rear far more resembles an s class. Anti dive and anti squat at BOTH ends.

And the new interior is very nice. Shop a bit and you can get a great deal...
 
Son has 2007 300 w/ V6 - 160k and no problems.
Had ATF drain/fill 2x and gear oil once ... tires, brake pads ... paint still shines good with about half the time in weather ...
 
I suggest you test drive used cars and don't buy anything until you've driven everything on your list. If your a worry wart and reliability is your main concern,
you'll pay a higher price for a used vehicle I.E. a Camry which isn't what you want.
 
If Korean is out, the Subaru Legacy would be my next choice. Very spacious and AWD...cant go wrong.
 
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