This is my Montero. I love this car. I know how to parallel park it like a boss downtown. I know which parking garages I am going to scrape the roof of. I know that the tires can take curbs without damage. I've driven it for ten years now. And while I love the thought of shopping and of new, I hate the idea of a learning curb.
I've needed as new car for a year now, for mechanical reasons. Repair costs at this point are more than the value of my car. But that's okay. I've lived with the rattles and chirps and occasional spazzy jerking motions when accelerating from a dead stop.
Now I have a giant crack across the windowshield. And I resigned myself to live with it, because even putting a new $350 windshield on the car at this point seems silly. That's okay. I'll drive it anyway. Last week, the interior overhead light started coming on at random times. Hit a bump, light comes on. Round a corner, light comes on. Weird. But I can live with that.
I've also been overlooking a leak on the front passenger side, and now a leak in the back door. I've learned to overlook the seatbelt problems and the fact that I get 15 mpg at best.
But this weekend, the speakers have started to die. And I am finally ready to car shop. Because I'm not driving around without a radio.
What I want in a new vehicle: small SUV, big tires, big side mirrors, headlights that turn themselves off automatically, roof rack, third row seating is a bonus but not necessity. 20 mpg or better required. Comes in red is a plus.
Tim is pushing me toward a Honda CRV. I have two friends with Subaru Foresters that they love. And my sister has a Ford Escape Hybrid which is awesome. My personal taste is running toward the Nissan Rogue or the Chevy Equinox.
What do you drive? How do you like it? Help me! I am suffering from a severe case of decision-itis, aka choice-o-phobia.
9 comments:
For our next vehicle, we're considering the Honda CRV and the Subaru Forester. People we know who have them think they're fabulous.
I'm looking for a new (to me) car now...I love the one I have, but it's a standard, and is hell to drive in traffic with a bad knee. I'm looking at pre-owned cars...it ends up being such a great deal! The one I have was pre-owned and I got a great deal from Honda :-)
love my chevy traverse, but not the gas mileage. i say go with the equinox!
I'm thinking about (by thinking about I mean daydreaming about) a Hyundai Vera Cruz. Or is it a Santa Fe?
Hondas always hold their value. We have a Hyundai Santa Fe that I love, even though there was a recall we found about after the transmission went insane on us at the tail end of a very long road trip (1/2 hr from home after 12+ hrs on the road). We got a great deal on ours, but I have always wanted to own a Honda, and no one ever bashes theirs.
And red? One day I will own a bright red vehicle.
LOVE LOVE LOVE my chevy equinox. Loads of great features, fairly good gas mileage and loads of room in the back. Great SUV for the $. Mine doesn't have a third row and I don't know if they make them with one because we didn't need a third row. Good luck Shopping!!!
My dad also has a Montero, which he bought just a few years ago from a friend. Luckily, it still runs like it's brand new and we got it at a fraction of the price of a brand new version! Anyway, I think you should go for a Chevy Equinox. That's a great deal for an SUV! I test drove my friend's Chevy, and I loved how it handled rough roads so well.
My vote is always on RAV 4! This little vehicle has a great fuel mileage and the design is really cute. Actually, it looks like a shortened truck. And aside from that, it is the least expensive Toyota SUV that offers optimum performance.
Mae Weitz
I raise both of my hands for the Montero Sport. I like it because it's fast, easy to drive, and gives an awesome high-speed stability. It is the good option for me when driving on rough roads. I wish you're already done with your car blues.
Stelle Courney
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