Recommend a small SUV

[Apple]

I have to get to work, so I'll respond more later, but I did find a used 2017 Subaru Forester for about $22k, with 5k miles.  I might stop by in the morning, see if they'll take $19k, $5k down, < 2% financing, and take my old car off my hands.  If not, I'll walk and wait for something else.

I do need to try to see what insurance would be though.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 18, 2017 19:07:34 GMT -5 Apple said:

I have to get to work, so I'll respond more later, but I did find a used 2017 Subaru Forester for about $22k, with 5k miles.  I might stop by in the morning, see if they'll take $19k, $5k down, < 2% financing, and take my old car off my hands.  If not, I'll walk and wait for something else.

I do need to try to see what insurance would be though.

You might be surprised.  When I bought my 2007 Forester, I had been driving a 2003 Sentra that I bought in 2005.  My insurance was less for the new car!

[Apple]

Aug 18, 2017 19:31:24 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Aug 18, 2017 19:07:34 GMT -5 Apple said:

I have to get to work, so I'll respond more later, but I did find a used 2017 Subaru Forester for about $22k, with 5k miles.  I might stop by in the morning, see if they'll take $19k, $5k down, < 2% financing, and take my old car off my hands.  If not, I'll walk and wait for something else.

I do need to try to see what insurance would be though.

You might be surprised.  When I bought my 2007 Forester, I had been driving a 2003 Sentra that I bought in 2005.  My insurance was less for the new car!

I just have liability on my escape, and when I did a "quick quote" to replace with the forester, it came out just a little higher.  However, I can't figure out how to change from liability to full-coverage, or if it did it automatically.  It's still reasonable though.

[Apple]

Aug 18, 2017 18:16:29 GMT -5 ilovedolphins said:

Apple - I have been looking at the newer Escapes.  Could you tell me what you didn't like about them?  I haven't driven any yet.

I made sure to check the year before responding...

The ones at work are 2013 models.  They suck (and I hate that, because I really do love my '02, everything but the paint job anyway, Ford paint was terrible that year!  Pretty much every one I see in town from '02 is peeling).

The newer escape issues:

Uncomfortable-- good legroom, but the seat is just awful

Horrible air flow--  The vents that you can normally direct to your arms/face/torso are all facing up instead of out.  So, you get air blowing on your forehead and can't move it down at all.  It takes forever to heat up in winter (cooling down in summer seems a little better).

Very little space -- the back of my escape is nice and wide, I can fit a lot back there without having to fold down the seat.  The back of the newer escape is really narrow and not very deep.  So, I would only be able to put about half of the stuff back there that I can now.

I'm surprised how bad they screwed up the "upgrade".  Maybe more recent years are better, but I would never buy a 2013!

[Apple]

So, I looked up a few things so far....

I want the Forester if I can get it at a good price.  I think.  

Toyota is doing some year end clearance, so could be the time to buy for that.  They have 0% offers and $3k cash back offers, so would have to do some math. 

Haven't checked Honda CRVs yet, but drove past one on the way to work and it was so pretty, lol.

I have some good ideas now.  I have Sun-Wed off this week, so if my offer on the Forester doesn't work, I'll visit the local car dealerships and see what they are willing to do for me.

I like the look of the Mazda CX 5, but the closest dealer is over an hour away.  I'll look into those more if I don't find something in town that I'm happy with.

[Apple]

Well...  I found a new 2017 Toyota RAV4, AWD, $23k.  So, if they don't take the offer on the forester, I can walk next door to the other dealership and check out this one.

Gas mileage isn't quite as good, but since I don't have the long commute anymore, I'm not too worried.

[Shooby]

Just go buy a new one.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Aug 18, 2017 12:41:01 GMT -5 busymom said:

They don't allow salt on the roads?!?  


;

We can't have salt in the roads either--de-icer is what we use.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I loved my Ford Expedition, but it sounds like that's too big for what you want.

I know a lot of people like Subarus.

[Apple]

So... The forester was a higher model than I was thinking.  And it was not a trade in, it was the "loaner car" for the dealership, so that took away a lot of worry.  So now I have a shiny, practically new car in my driveway.

Thanks, everyone, for helpful input.  I was able to talk to some coworkers last night/this morning, and they expanded more on the different makes/models.  A 6' 8" coworker, who is a pretty big guy (someone was purchasing shirts and asked him if he was a 4x...  The guy said "bless you're heart, you're such a sweetie, but there is no way that will fit", so yeah, a really big guy) said that his wife drove one for several years and it was a great car.  And he lives in an area with worse weather and a commute on those icy freeways.  

Now I need to get to bed so I can work tonight!

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Congrats on your new car!  My Forester has been a jewel in ugly weather.  

[Anne_in_VA]

Congrats Apple!  I hope you enjoy your new car!

[phil5185]

Forester

When we go to the Ski Slopes, we see lots of Subarus in the parking lots - so they are becoming the vehicle of choice for skiers.

[Artemis Windsong]

Nissan Rogue.