what car - wife daily driver edition

must be:

New

suv/crossover/wagon

good mpg

safe

2 kids in car seats need to fit comfortably in back seat

good track record

CVT transmissions scare me

under 24k, looking to really stay around 21 to keep payment around 300.

crossed off list: anything kia

intriguing: edge ecoboost

go?

Suzuki Samurai with brush guard and lift kit.

Please consider a minivan.
Try Dodge Caravan.

Just, consider it. Give it a real test drive. Maybe rent or borrow one for a week.

Violates CVT rule, but: Subaru Outback

And that's the first time I've ever recommended a Subaru in a thread where mileage was a concern.

We love our Explorer. I'm not sure what you consider good mpg, but it's decent for the size. Ours is a 2012.

New 2015 Pruis is down to $20,595. Hatchback, giant interior, 48/52 MPG.

Otherwise, Mazda CX-5. Base with a stick.

Hyundai?

Im partial to the mazda 3. Its sexy.

Friends wife has a 2014 edge ecoboost, they love it. He is a ford tech though so he may be biased.

Javelin wrote: New 2015 Pruis is down to $20,595. Hatchback, giant interior, 48/52 MPG.

Are you thinking of the Prius c? The 'standard' Prius is still listed at $24,200.

I imagine he(she) wants something more SUV-ish/larger, but if not its a fantastic option.

In reply to Mike:

Dang! What did the OP do to PO you?

JohnRW1621 wrote: Please consider a minivan. Try Dodge Caravan. Just, consider it. Give it a real test drive. Maybe rent or borrow one for a week.

sister in law has a '14. carli hates it. sister in law kinda does too, but it's her own fault she has 3 kids and 2 dogs and can't travel without taking half the house. i've had several late 90's caravans and liked them way better than the new one. i do not really like how it feels inside driving or riding, i've had an extended test drive so to speak.

i guess the deal is she wants brand new car or brand new engine in the 9-7x now. if engine can't happen within a month, she wants new car. the kicker is our rental house needs the siding finished so we can pull equity from it, and she understands that takes priority over vehicle repairs. with the whole debacle over the low mile ebay engine that showed up not as listed, had to be shipped back, and took a month and a half for the whole deal to go from paid to refunded(just got that $1500 back today), she is untrusting of any used engine and wants me to build one from new parts. all well and good, i'm perfectly capable of that, but there's that little time issue with the holiday, work, rental house needing finished since my cousin has been living in it for 10 months with the siding not done. so i'm like - forget this get a new car and i'll fix the saab when i have time in february or march and by then my 07 express van will probably be blown up anyway. i'd like to light half the driveway on fire honestly, i'm sick of crap needing fixed and at this point would love it if she had a 5/100k warranty and just got new every 5 years so anyone but me could fix anything that broke.

i don't know what i did to mike, but those things are hideous

Put the motor from the avalanche in the saab. Then burn avalanche? You said fire... or part it out.

Okay, no love for the Chrysler. Thanks for considering. I see you've tried.

My wife drives a Mazda5; the mini of minivans. The model is not returning for 2016. Montrose Mazda has 4 of the 2015s remaining in 3 models. Prices of $22k, $23k and $25k. Mazda is knocking $2k off and I suspect you can get another $1k from the dealer for $19k, $20k, $22k.

May be worth a look.

When we bought, the Mazda CX5 did not exist. I think she would like that too.

will give that a look. almost got her convinced my initial plan is the one of correctitude - lower mile junkyard engine for the saab. that would get me out of new car shopping.

i found an engine locally with 50k less than the saab has, that would ease her mind about the whole shipping debacle with the wrong one.

Minibikes?

patgizz wrote: intriguing: edge ecoboost

If that is a consideration, also check out the Escape. We moved from the larger and more expensive Edge to the Escape a few years ago- love it. The edge was a great vehicle, but the smaller and less consuming Escape is a better fit for us.

We had the 2.0l GTDI to tow with, but realizing that towing isn't a priority as it was in the past, we now have a 1.6 GTDI engine. So far, it's exactly what we need.

Ticks all the boxes, girls love them, super reliable (mine has 70,000 without a single issue) and they are good on gas. Not sure why you are against Kias because they make your wife's ideal car!

I was thinking about this topic further while I was driving today. I return to see that Pat is thinking reviving the 9-7 could be the best course of action and I agree. But, since I gave this thought, I'm going to write what I was thinking anyway in case the used engine idea does not fly.

I am going to retract my recommendation of the Mazda5. I think this will be seen as too samll and too underpowered (which it is.)
Looking at Gizzfamily history the recent vehicles where Buick Rendezvous and Saab 9-7. Both of which were liked, before their demise. I think the Gizzfamily likes vehicles with some size, power and presence. My thought here is further encouraged by the admission of the like of the Ford Edge, specifically with the largest engine option. This a car built on Ford's largest unibody frame. Since it is the short wheelbase version of that frame, lets call it a large medium vehicle or small large vehicle but either way, it's bigger than medium.

The desired spend here is $23k, maximum. USA Today says that the average transaction price of a new car in 2015 is $33.5k.

I think the real question is:
What vehicle can I find that is larger (and more powerful) than the average vehicle but retails for less than the average vehicle?

Two choices that come right to the top for me are:
Dodge Caravan, entry model (already dismissed)
Kia Sedona Minivan, entry model (already dismissed)
If all minivans are dismissed, that will leave the SUV's and price wise you are looking more at the small/medium (and small engine optioned) SUV rather than the larger SUV. Your price may get you into an entry Escape, Equinox, etc but not a loaded version and certainly not an Edge, Traverse, etc even entry model.

We all want the same which is seating for 8, towing of 5k lbs and 30mpg for less than average car dollars.
It's not out there.

Your sister in law has a '14 Chrysler and though she does not exactly love it, I commend here for the choice because in her situation of 3 kids and 2 dogs, it was likely the best choice/compromise out there.

The Chevy Equinox may be worth looking more into. You might be able to swing a V6 version in your price range if you stay with 2015 left over models.

I am gonna go CR-V. They are as nice as anything on the road loaded out. Extremely comfortable, safe and dead nut reliable. I am 6'4" 240 and me, the wife and the two boys fit very comfortably and the dog sits in the floor in back seat too.

I understand your trepidation on CVTs but they have been out a while, give better fuel economy, smoother operation and this isn't for you, it is for her.

Available in FWD or part-time-auto 4wd they are pretty good in bad weather too. Start at $23,595 it is hard to beat, and Honda also has Honda deal days going on now so you can get it less than that. Drive it you might like it. Just don't buy it from Hennessy Honda of Woodstock, they suck.

TrueCar says you can get one in Clevlend FWD LX for $23,338 +++ or a EX AWD for $26,696 +++

Why does it need to be more powerful than the average vehicle? I'll bet the average vehicle these days is more powerful than the average 70's muscle car.

Keith Tanner wrote: Why does it need to be more powerful than the average vehicle? I'll bet the average vehicle these days is more powerful than the average 70's muscle car.

Wait a minute...The CX-5. It pushes all the buttons!

Traditional 6 speed auto. FWD or AWD. Comes in right at $25k AWD or $23k for FWD base!

!

Flight Service wrote: Wait a minute...The CX-5. It pushes all the buttons! Traditional 6 speed auto. FWD or AWD. Comes in right at $25k AWD or $23k for FWD base! !

My wife too wants a new car... small SUV. Id like her to try the CX5 also, i think its the best small SUV at the moment with a non CVT trans. She hates Mazdas for some reason....

Keith Tanner wrote: Why does it need to be more powerful than the average vehicle? I'll bet the average vehicle these days is more powerful than the average 70's muscle car.

I was suggesting that the Gizzfamily likes a larger vehicle, along with that, they like and are used to a powerful vehicle.
I am not sure that it NEEDS to be but my guess is that they LIKE it to be.

My further point was that the entry engine in the Chrysler minivan and Kia minivan is a significant V6.
The entry engine is the small SUV class is typically a smaller 4 cyl.