oldest son in mideast right now and needing a daily driver in may. his wife drives their 2017 subaru outback limited and the second car will be his commuter in four season north. i.e. snow country but roads are plowed and drivers remain sane in white stuff. so i spent a pleasant three hours at carmax sitting in his suggestions, trying out many others and coming up with my own ideas. i didn't drive any, just wanted to learn how they feel, especially a few years old. my all over the map recommendations are based on internet research as well. he wants a nearly new, 2017+, preferably cpo. here they are in my randomly defined categories:
suv: kia sportage
hauler: kia soul
econobox: hyundai elantra
small sedan: mazda 3
large sedan: honda accord sport
awd: subaru legacy.
he doesn't want nissan, buick, vw, chevy, subaru with 2.0 engine, jeep; doesn't need a truck, audi, bmw, mb, lexus, infiniti, acura. i sat in a bunch of these anyway, but i won't argue with him, his money his buy. his no go list is based on dealer/service availability, reputation and his own experience. he isn't a car guy or shade tree mechanic but he is an aircraft pilot so he wants to feel engaged to some degree on the road. during my carmax sit in i found: toyota camry squeeky penalty box, corolla tinny; nissans, honda civic and crx tinny and uncomfy; fords creaky and uncomfy. uncomfy, knowing his size and driving position, means that knees rest on hard plastic, outside view difficult, head hits roof, etc. no mazda cx5 on the lot. i suspect that he will try to find a honda accord sport but end up with a mazda 3. their subaru outback already fills the suv, hauler and awd categories.
random thoughts on my random short list? thanks all!
suv: kia sportage
hauler: kia soul
econobox: hyundai elantra
small sedan: mazda 3
large sedan: honda accord sport
awd: subaru legacy.
he doesn't want nissan, buick, vw, chevy, subaru with 2.0 engine, jeep; doesn't need a truck, audi, bmw, mb, lexus, infiniti, acura. i sat in a bunch of these anyway, but i won't argue with him, his money his buy. his no go list is based on dealer/service availability, reputation and his own experience. he isn't a car guy or shade tree mechanic but he is an aircraft pilot so he wants to feel engaged to some degree on the road. during my carmax sit in i found: toyota camry squeeky penalty box, corolla tinny; nissans, honda civic and crx tinny and uncomfy; fords creaky and uncomfy. uncomfy, knowing his size and driving position, means that knees rest on hard plastic, outside view difficult, head hits roof, etc. no mazda cx5 on the lot. i suspect that he will try to find a honda accord sport but end up with a mazda 3. their subaru outback already fills the suv, hauler and awd categories.
random thoughts on my random short list? thanks all!