The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Meinurgill on June 25, 2014, 10:00:24 AM
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Ok, I need advice on a new car! Hubs and I are looking to replace a 2002 E150 Conversion Van. He is a serious musician who hauled around a band and pulled a trailer full of major gear for 10 yrs. He has gone solo and doesn't need that much towing capacity/cargo space, so we are downsizing. My car is an old Golf we will replace soonish, probably with a used Prius.
What we do need: plenty of cargo space for live sound gear and 2-3 passengers. It needs to withstand heavy gear hauling on longer trips but we do not need to tow. Under $12,000, under 100,000 miles, and a low MPG rating for the class. High safety rating would be awesome because we have a tiny tot.
So far we have narrowed down to CRV, Ford Escape, and Mazda CX-5, 2005-2010 range. We would love an Escape Hybrid but they are nearly impossible to find around here.We have also looked at Subaru wagons but they are out of our price range locally for the specs we want.
Just want to make sure we aren't missing anything obvious before we start shopping around. Are there any hatchback sedans with a helluva lotta cargo space that we should not overlook?
Anyone know whether KBB ratings for 5-year cost of ownership are legit? TIA!
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It's hard to beat the reliability of a Honda CR-V. It might cost a little more than the Ford Escape or Mazda CX-5, because they tend to hold their value really well, but, hey, they hold their value really well for a reason.
They have excellent visibility, easy ingress and egress, decent (but not great) gas mileage, and you can fit a shitload of stuff in one. We took stuff to a yard sale a couple of weeks ago and fit a china cabinet in my CR-V!
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That's sort of the conclusion we have come to as well. I just keep thinking we could be missing an obvious option, but maybe not!
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Ford freestyle? I borrowed one for a week and got 27mpgs out of it with tons more oomph than a CRV. Reliability wasn't as stellar as the CRV but there are some good ones out there.
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I bought an AWD 2006 Escape Hybrid about a year ago - it had 155,000 on it but a squeaky clean carfax and only 1 owner. I paid $5500 cash (leather & sunroof to boot!). I haven't had a single problem with it and I get 30 mpg. I build a lot of furniture so the sedan was just getting awkward. Even the MMM certified wagon/hatchback styles would have trouble transporting what I've been able to fit in the Escape.
If you open your search to vehicles with higher miles you might have better chances of finding a hybrid escape, which I would completely recommend. Also, there is an irrational fear that people have about hybrid batteries that keeps higher milage hybrid prices artificially low, and you can take advantage of that. As the classic investing advice goes, be greedy when others are fearful. My parents cautioned me about it and I looked on ebay and craigslist and found that there is a decent supply of those batteries now; people still think it's an $8,000 replacement like when they first came out. Not to mention the fact that the battery is built to last the life of the car.
People will hear one anecdotal tale (often from a source with an incentive to tell it) and it'll live on in their mind.
PS if you go the CRV route, make sure its not from one of the years where they had tranny issues.
Good luck!
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PS if you go the CRV route, make sure its not from one of the years where they had tranny issues.
Thank you! I didn't know CRV's had tranny issues. I will look into that before buying.
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If your thinking CRV you can also look at the Rav4. I have a v6 one and still get near 28 on the hwy
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I would definitely suggest the CR-V out of the three that you and your husband suggested considering what you guys are looking for.
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I bought an AWD 2006 Escape Hybrid about a year ago - it had 155,000 on it but a squeaky clean carfax and only 1 owner. I paid $5500 cash (leather & sunroof to boot!). I haven't had a single problem with it and I get 30 mpg.
I put a lot of mileage on a car annually. I don't know that I trust an Escape to get me much past 200,000 miles, so that would only give me 3-4 years in it if I purchased it at 155,000 miles.
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http://www.truedelta.com/Honda-CR-V/reliability-110
CRV is very reliable car if you go that route.
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On Consumer Reports, the Honda CR-V has "Best" rating for Transmission Major/Minor for 2004 through 2013.
Minor exceptions:
- 2004 "Better" for Transmission Minor
- 2005 "Better" for Transmission Major
I would not be concerned about the transmission. Climate system had a lot of rough years, though.
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We have a 2009 Rav 4 and have never had any issues with it. I like the look of it better than the CRV