Today we (me, my wifey, and my son) went test driving cars, being in the market for a new car, since our 2nd car gave up its last gasp a few weeks ago with a notable last passenger. Since we already have a Honda Civic, we’d like a 2nd car to accommodate our mobile road warrior lifestyle, and something different. We like sitting a little higher on the road for visibility and ground clearance, flexible room to haul cargo, with fun to drive and low price a bonus. We took the following on a spin: Saturn VUE (beautiful decor + most luxurious + safety of OnStar built-in + enticing incentive like a $500 Target gift card), Honda CR-V (nice ride + great feel), Honda Element (styling + built to take a beating + seats fold down or fold up sideways + engine revved like it could), Nissan Xterra (highest road visibility + great trucky kind of ride + seats folded down so easily even my 8 year old figured it out), Toyota RAV4 (solid ride + tricky folding seats). Initially we considered the Scion xB, but it was too long a wait for the color of our choice (black cherry), and a very low ride. So now we’re on the verge of spending a bit more. Stay tuned for our chosen new car, anticipated for purchase by next weekend.
Tomorrow, I’m taking a train up and back to Philadelphia to drop in at the Annual meeting of the Academy of American Religion, where there’ll be a historic session with a panel discussion about Asian North American evangelical theology. Should meetup with some old friends and hope to make some new friends.
definitely look into buying used – you will save a ton of money buying a two year old car still under warranty.
My vote’s on the Honda Element! I have an ’05 and LOVE IT! Functionality of an SUV, handles more like a car, and consistently gets 23+ MPG. Happy shopping!
Rob