Which mid-sized sedan to buy new?

We are looking at buying a new car for my wife. Our 2008 Ford Fusion has 93k miles on it so it is time to move on. We are leaning towards a new Camry SE w/ the 4 cyl, but having a hard time deciding. My daily driver is a Honda Civic and is my 5th Civic. I usually run them up to 200k before getting rid of them and have been lucky to just replace the timing belt/water pump for major repairs usually. We have a Toyota LC for the winters. Any suggestions?

why is 93k time to move on? Ford Fusion going out on you?

My 05 nissan has 112k on it and is still rip roaring and rarin to go

The short of the story on the Fusion is that it is prior salvage title. We bought it from my father-in-law which he bought very cheap w/ 12k miles on it after repaired. However, the first Fusions were not what the new ones are now. With the 4 cyl in it we only get, at best, 26 miles/gallon. I did get 28 miles/gallon with it on my trip out to Colorado Springs and back, but that was the best ever. We had a 2002 4 cyl Camry prior to that and religously got 33/gallon. We ran it up to 130k before the Fusion came along. I would've kept the camry for myself if I didn't already have the Civic.

The new Altimas are nice looking and the 4-cyl is rated at 27 mpg city/38 mpg hwy.

and they have the CVT, which they say is good...

just like it's owner

Do you get snow by you? The 2013 Subarus have improved gas mileage (I think up to 36mpg??) but still have all wheel drive standard.

huh? I don't get it...

CVT is great, but it feels very weird.......

And just for the record..... You can actually gripe about "only 26 MPG"?!
...That may be better than my truck. Yeah...maybe.

Definitely better than mine.....i'm lucky to get 18 or 19 mpg.

it was directed at MBTD

Hyundai Sonata Hybrids are nice.

Maybe if you narrowed the variables. Is mpg, the prime concern? Price range? Room? That less indentifiable quality..shall we call it "acceptable ugliness"

Triple B1, I have an 05 Sierra 4x4 and I'm lucky to get 18-19 with it. Don't get me started on our Land Cruiser...15ish.
Manimal, I like the Subarus too, but I can't get my wife sold on one.

Hybrids are certainly nice, but some of them are $8000 more than the non hybrid version of the same vehicle. The Chevy Cruze is non hybrid and still gets over 40mpg.
You can get a Volt. We have a granola guy here that has one and loves the darn thing! He gets gas about once every 6 or 8 weeks.
Like Mani, I like Subaru. They are tough, reliable, fast and you can drive them on about any condition a road is likey to have except lava and that only happened in Hawaii.
Honda, bulletproof.
Fusion, redisigned and nice car
BMW, expensive and reliable. AWD available...at a price.
Hyundai and Kia, both way better than they used to be!

I have a 1/2 ton chevy 4x4. 400 horspower (a few mods) 15 in town, 20 on the hwy.
Its not great, but I didn't buy it for its spiffy mpg numbers.

I like the new Altimas too, but for some reason she doesn't like the Altimas either. I'm not real picky as long as it is reliable and gets descent mileage. I always buy a used car for my daily driver because I rack up 75 miles/day round trip. Before I bought my last Civic I looked at an 08 Altima and it had 100k on it, but what scared me was that it had a new motor put in at 50k. The guy printed off the car fax for it and it was scary with all the problems that it had. I then did some research on consumer reviews and they were troublesome for a while. Maybe they got problems worked out of them by now.

love our 4-cyl accord...35 hwy, 29 city

have also had a subaru, i'd buy another - ran forever

VW is currently doing 0% for 5 years on all gasoline models, Passat and CC are nice looking (if they'd do diesel ones I'd be on a passat diesel in a heartbeat.

will never again own an American labeled car, just don't like them, and i still find the quality to be less...

Smart Car

Have you seen the Scion IQ? Makes a Smart look like a freakin station wagon!

Take her on a test drive. In the winter. In a few feet of snow.

"The Chevy Cruze is non hybrid and still gets over 40mpg.
You can get a Volt. We have a granola guy here that has one and loves the darn thing! He gets gas about once every 6 or 8 weeks."

Volt is $41,000 with a 500 lb battery that may catch fire, while the Cruze is essentially the same car at $17,000.

Love love love my Kia and recommend highly that you go drive a Kia and see if you like it. I've been driving mine (a 4 door Rio) nearly 4 years. I have had no repairs besides a flat tire and replacing the battery a few months ago (the guy they sent out from 24 hour roadside assistance told me the only thing cheap on a Kia is the battery which usually lasts no more than 3 to 4 years). All Kias have a 10 year 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty - the best in the business. Worth every penny I paid for mine (under $14,000) and soon to be paid off while still in tip top shape. Can't wait for life without a car payment, and I plan to drive it until it won't go no mo'!

Edited to add: I average 29 mpg city and 32 or 33 highway. With only a 10.3 gallon tank, fillups at the gas station are not too painful and not too frequent.

Love my Toyota. Had my first repair this last month and it was just the starter. It's a 2003.

Bought a Honda CRV 4 months ago and I love it. Averaging 29 mpg overall.

Yeah, kind amy point on hybrids and the like. You can burn a lot of gas for the cost of the technology.

We are getting CNG fill stations at many of our standard gas stations now. And there is government programs to assist with engine conversion..... 4x4 on CNG? Maaaybe!

Sox, my CR-V is 4 years old, still averaging 29 combined...will be buying another one

With your CR-V's are they AWD or FWD getting the 29? I like the CR-V's too, but not the wife. Maybe I can talk her into a Subie. I was looking at the Legacy after what Manimal said and they are sharp too. Not a bad price either. I wonder what their warranty is like?

I have to disagree with you on the reliable part...

The Subaru outback, as others have said, is a great car. I have never owned one but several friends have them and swear by them. They really have a cult like following. It is kinda strange.

The new CR-Vs are very sharp looking vehicles.

I have a CR-V, but most of my driving is within a few miles of home. Work is about 1.3 miles from my house. So, I get about 18-19 mpg. 28 mpg is about right, if it's mostly highway. It's a 2007, and has not had a single problem. My daughter has a 2002 CR-V and it's also been very dependable.

But I recommend looking at the Hyundai Sonata. My wife has driven one for the last year. The mileage is incredible. Averages over 30 for a mix of highway and city. It get 37 if the driving is all highway. If that's too big, go with the Elantra.

I've had 3 Beemers and had great luck with them. But for the money, I will take the Subaru WRX STI (performance matters to me). It is a great car, with outstanding performance that will drive anywhere! Fast too!

I know of several lady friends who have Subarus and love them.

The Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima (sister companies) get very good ratings from Consumer Reports, as do most of the cars mentioned here (Altima, Outback, CR-V, Accord, Camry). As someone mentioned earlier, Hyundai and Kia have been making good, reliable cars.

The Fusion has also gotten good marks over the last 2 or 3 years.

I have the AWD. I have also made an effort to not speed as much. I am averaging close to 30-31 during the week which is all highway for me-the local weekend driving brings it down a bit.

I considered an Outback but ended up with the CRV..I liked the look a bit better-otherwise they were very similar from my test drives and research. Their warranty is 3/36. My wife had an Impreza for 14 yrs and has had her current Outback for 4 years.

Happy-that is good to know.

1 ton Ford 4x4 crew cab long box here. Glad when I get 12-13 on average. We took a trip to the Black Hills in SD in June towing our 26 foot camping trailer and I got about 6-7 mpg. It hurt at the pump

The VW Jetta with a diesel engine is another good option. Great gas mileage (mid-upper 40s) and the engines last forever.

Happy, The new plant here in Chattanooga is making the diesel Passat. So go buy one and support the Noog.

I actaully like the look of the Jetta better and they are a lot bigger than they used to be; just slightly smaller than the Passat. Wife says the Jetta diesel is her next car.

I have also heard great things about the Sonata, but all from brand new owners.

We just bought our third Toyota Camry and we love them. We got 35mpg on the one we traded. This new one is getting 31. We have never had any repairs and they ride beautifully. The Entune app is great also.

I got stuck in a blizzard last winter in an F250. They closed the road in WY and we were there for about 8 hours. I was very happy to be in a diesel then! 8 hours of idle with occaisional revs to keep the heater warm and the fuel gage barely moved at all! Diesels will idle dang near forever!

Had a diesel jetta...averaged 52 MPG...bought it when diesel was $1.42 a gallon, diesel was $3.75 when i sold it...huge difference.

My CR-V is 2wd...

back seat room on Jetta is still too small if you are taller than 5'2" and the driver or passenger are sitting with the seat pushed back more than 1/2 way

The VW CC is pretty roomy. Nice looking with a great interior. I dont know anybody with experience on them yet.

Have a 2010 Camry SE 4 cyl and LOVE it. I had a 2009 LE, which I totaled while playing sober cab for my son, when some other kid didn't bother to call his mom, drunk in her caddilac, and ran a stop sign in front of me. Hit them at 55 mph and only had bruises from the air bags and seatbelt. Actually other than the airbags deploying, there was no damage to the inside of the car. Unfortunately it took the front of the car off to the front wheels. Didn't even think about purchasing something else, went right to the Toyota dealership and replaced it, with a few upgrades. Love the upgrades.

I have a ton of room in my CRV-being tall and needing to put the driver seat all the way back, there was never any room for someone to sit behind me in prior cars-the CRV gives decent back seat room.

how about a Bentley Continental Flying Spur?

I spoke to soon on my 04 Honda Civic. 110k miles and blew the head gasket yesterday. I knew it was time to replace the timing belt/water pump, but geesh...can't wait to get this bill. An aluminum head on cast iron block not a good combo. Oh well, hopefully will be good to go another 100k.

I can say the exact same thing about a Subaru I once owned (actually my wife had it before we were married). It was a piece of junk.

I've had really good luck with Ford, just saying....

since they are tearing down the engine, why not do the timing belt/water pump replacement too?

I am Pale. That's why after this I was hoping to get another 100k. The last civic I had the timing belt/water pump done on was $500, but if my head needs planed and valves ground I don't know if I want to see the bill. I at least trust my mechanic. Speaking of Subaru, my wife's co-worker had the head gasket go out on their Outback and she said it was close to $2k (not sure what year and miles). I realize they have the horizontal engine, but OUCH!

Hope no Anti Freeze got on that aluminum head Had this happen with my 92 Olds Cutlass Supreme, had to get a new motor, but it was an aluminum block.

I am in the process of running my 3rd Saturn (SC2,SL1, and ION 4 door coupe) into the ground. I know they aren't making them anymore, but if you want a used car, find one. I did have to do about $500 in repairs at about 80K on my current one, but that's just because a lot of minor things went out at once (new wiper motor because sister tried to use the wipers when they were iced over, new brake drum, and new heater motor.)

My ex got the Kia Sportage in the divorce, and as much as i love my Saturn, i miss that car so much!! the BF has a Kia Rondo, which i also love. Whn i'm done with my current car, i'll look into Kia, i like the Kia Forte.

I have to disagree with you on your disagreement!

Never had a problem with any of mine.

Bimmer - do you use the new Iphone apps for tracking your maintenance on the bimmer? they are excellent!

there is an app for that?

Just an FYI...

A "Beemer" or "Beamer" is a BMW Motorcycle.

A "Bimmer" is a BMW automobile.

iDevices are not permitted anywhere near my Bimmers!

Could that explain the lack of problems with the Bimmers

Bought a new Kia Optima a couple of months ago - traded my Chrysler 300 that I had for 8 years. I have to say, I am in love with my new car - the warranty was was ultimately sold me, but I also found I could get a fully loaded turbo model with the panoramic roof for close to what I paid for my 300 eight years ago. It has a really nice, sleek look to it as well - fun to drive. I think my favorite part is that it won't let me lock my keys (fob) in the car - who new the new cars had such cool features lol!

old cars have this feature as well...i think they call it common sense...

::quickly runs from thread::

<<<---once locked my keys in my truck with the engine running!

I think Miscuit locked herself in her car once

I had a new 2003 530 that I kept for 6 months due to reliability issues. It was in the shop twice for over 2 months of that time.

I had a new 2008 535 that I kept for 3 years (terrible mistake) that was in the shop in the upper teens for a total of about 10 months. I had a friend who had the V12 7 series for 2 months (I should say owned for 2 months as the dealership had it for 1.5 due to repairs). My understanding is the only car they make that is reliable is the naturally aspirated 3 series.

To be transparent... I have had several Audis and they were bullet proof and much more fun. I am biased towards Audi but the reliability is not something bias would impact.

Just my experience. I am glad you have been fortunate with yours.

Been there, done that. Sigh.

So, Rusty, have you purchased the car yet? What did you buy? If not, what are you leaning toward?

Ditto!

And in the middle of winter!

My sister did it too - twice.

Yes Rusty - what did you decide on?

Dear Mr A_G-DDD

Effective immediately, the American Man Card Association of America is revoking all privileges and benefits associated with your Man Card, which is to be surrendered upon receipt of this letter. In order to have your man card reinstated, you must appear before the panel of delegates, appointed by the local chapter of the American Man Card Association of America, and present valid argument why locking your keys in a running car is not an un-manly thing to do. You may bring any proof to back up your case.

For example, were you to drive a 1982 Pontica Trans-Am Smokey and the Bandit model, you would receive bonus points. If, for example, you drove a Pontiac Sunfire, points would be deducted. Your hearing is set for Monday, July 30, 2012, at the Hooter's location closest to your place of residence (yes, we know you live in your Mom's basement, points are deducted for that as well). If you are not familiar with the location of the nearest Hooters, well, then things just aren't looking good, are they?

Sincerely,

The American Man Card Association of America

Well, I smashed the window with my bare fist to re-enter.

So how about that.

Suddenly, I feel SO much better admitting I actually did it! I am not alone!

Considering you had post production moonroof wide open at the time, no.

Had you had a Smokey and the Bandit model, you would have merely had to jump in...rather than leaving a hazard of broken glass in your wake!

Said litter/hazardous waste might consitute additional points AGAINST you!

It was winter!

Had it been a Smart Car™ I simply could have picked it up and walked it home to the spare.

I have been driving Nissans for years.....never had a lick of trouble with any of 'em. I'm driving a 2007 Altima right now.....love the body style, the tinted windows....and I'm tellin' you....once you've gone to keyless ignition, you will NEVER go back....spoils you in a hurry. As long as my key is in my purse or on my person, I don't have to find it. I can unlock the car, the trunk, start the car without having to find it. I can't lock the key in the car or the trunk. I can start my car on cold winter days and then lock it while I go back in the house. But if I don't lock it and someone jumps in to steal it, when they get far enough away from the intelligent key in my purse, the car turns itself off. Oh and all Maximas and some Altimas have the Bose sound system....fabulous.

::hears Indigo Girls playing in the distance::

Try the new 2013 Nissan Altima.......pretty good stuff.

Well, we haven't pulled the trigger yet. We did test drive a new Camry and a new 4-Runner. We liked them both. However, the loaded (sun roof/leather/3rd row seats) SR5 4-Runner was $41k and the Camry 4 Cyl. SE was $25k. You see our first brand new vehicle was a 2002 4-Runner and we loved it. Then, at 120K miles we traded it on my current '05 GMC Sierra 4x4. Around that time we traded my old Infiniti J30 on a used 2002 Camry XLE also which we loved. In hind site we should've kept the Camry at 120k, but the price on the Fusion was too good of a deal coming from close family. We may just get a certified used Camry XLE w/ the 4 banger.
On another note, I just got back my Civic today. Ouch!!! New head gasket (including shop work on the head and valves), water pump, timing belt, accessory belts, plugs, wires, yada, yada, yada...for the tune of $1900. You can find me sitting in the corner sucking on my thumb today.

At that price, I'd sit my Civic and suck my thumb!

The civic is a great car though. Add a cold air intake, headers and an exhaust, some bigger brakes, Eilbach spings....

...and a big WING!!

BBB1, it is a 4 door for my 9 and 6 year old boys. They would like that though. This is the first Civic that I've had a head gasket go out on. It really hurt my pride after all the praises I've been singing about them over the years. I know that it is just part of owning cars with high miles though.

I can't lock my keys in my non-keyless Miata trunk so long as I have the windows rolled down or the doors unlocked.

@ Joker

My parents used to have a Saturn that I drove when I was in high school, and the keys were so similar on the same models that we could use our keys to unlock other Saturn car doors. Helped a few times...

ha ha

My son has a Smart Car. The biggest unSmart thing about it is NO SPARE TIRE! That's just not Smart! They could have put them on the back hatch like a Toyota or something. WTH?

That's when I would call Triple A for my free tow. Alternatively, I could just pick up the car and carry it under my arm to the tire store.

Addendum......or just lean down and blow the tire up with my mouth, like a balloon.

I think if there was a spare tire mounted on the back of a smart car, the front wheels would lift off the ground.

Add two 5 point race harnesses.
Safety first!
I drove my two little girls around in my race ready Probe GT all the time. And my granddaughters were furious when I sold the 330CI convertible! They loved it (just dont be silly with little people in the car)

I got a good look at the Scion IQ this weekend (toyota's "smart car") Its cute, fairly solid feeling. But I had to try........yes, with a little work, I can rock the tires up off the ground!

I thought of that right after I posted the above...LOL!

I get tickled at it....it looks like it needs wheelie bars.

Swiggles...it has an automatic tire inflator inside the car...a button or something. . Not helpful if you have a blowout tho like he had recently.

Amazing! That's just as amazing as keyless ignition.

And park assist!

or......just get a car that's fit for a human to drive

In all truth, the Smart Car has WAY more leg and headroom in it than I would have ever imagined...He's 6' tall and big...she's 6' tall, too...they have plenty of room. The first time I rode in it I couldn't believe it...it feels like a big car...it just has no BUTT!

It also has no need for parking assist.

if I should ever buy one, someone please cut off my man parts, I'll have no need for them anymore

I'd dare you to say that to my son.

It really does look like a clown car.

I would say anything to anyone on the internet

I'm not so tough in person though

i can't lock my keys in the trunk of my CR-V...

Wasn't there a photo going around on emails showing a Fit or Smart car that was rearended by a truck and smashed into the truck in front of the car? It wasn't pretty. I'd hate for my body to be the shock absorber in that collision.

I was wondering how "sturdy" those smart cars are....especially with all the nut cases out there driving SUV gas-guzzling battle ships while thinking that makes them own the road.

Actually, it was a Ford Escape and the driver survived. Click here >>> Crushed Car

Its not an SUV, its truck. And mine is not a battleship, its a carrier!

On snap!! The only thing worse than women driving battleship SUVs is men driving carrier trucks.....just sayin'

The worst thing is when people get a false sense of safety by driving a huge truck or SUV and then proceed to drive like a complete jackwagon.

I encountered 3 jackwagons on my short drive to lunch today. Jackwagon #1 almost sideswiped me making that important swing left just before turning right. Jackwagons #2 and 3 couldn't wait 2 seconds for me to pass and turned right in front of me (completely separate encounters), but were not in such a hurry that they decided to drive 20 mph in the fast lane of a 40 mph zone.

I also drive a carrier truck, but I only use it for good I promise

Put those jackwagons on the highway here in February during a blizzard....double jackwagons. I love seeing them off the road after sideswiping the guardrails.

What about women driving carrier trucks?

Carrier trucks? Definition, please.

Full-size, 4x4 pickup trucks. Some (like mine) are crew cab (4 door) long box trucks and so are over 19 feet long thus they are the size of an aircraft carrier (roughly).

Good I do not drive one. my "car" is only 18.5 feet long

Thanks PP.

it absolutely amazes me how 99% of drivers here in Illinois forget how to drive when the first snow hits every year...i mean it does come EVERY year!!

the jackwagons(one of my all time favorite words) sure do come out to play then.

sorry, wanted to join in on the rant

As opposed to here, where it rarely snows and NO ONE has any idea how to drive. You get everything from people creaping 10 mph on the interstate to traveling regular spead or faster. In town, people seem to have the impression that the snow (or ice) makes it legal NOT to come to a full stop at stop signs and makes it legal to run red lights. Geez!

Women drive perfectly in carrier trucks.

Riiiight

Someone in my neighborhood has a carrier truck up on monster wheels. The bed is so high off the ground that my dogs can walk under it when it's parked in the driveway. I will refrain from saying what we nick-named the owner.

I'm an excellent driver.

Me too. And mine's about as long as it gets...the only thing missing is 4-wheel drive and that's got nothing to do with driveability!

So is Deek

^^^obviously didn't get the Rain Man reference.

if money isn't a concern, might I suggest an Astin-Martin Vantage? or the Bentley Mulsanne?

What is "things Deek will never say"?

I guess this sedan thread is hijacked. But while we're on the subject of men and women and driving.....what on earth kind of satisfaction do men get from driving VERY, VERY, VERY noisy motorcycles and cars that are evidently missing a muffler and rattling the windows of every house within a half mile with their noise polution. Is it a testosterone charge or something? I don't find it anything but extremely rude, obnoxious and uncaring. I'd rather hear someone playing rap music real loud from the vehicle.....and I HATE rap.

Swiggles- that reminds me of the South Park episode where the kids get fed up with the motorcycle gangs. The guys on motorcycles make all that noise so people look at them and get very upset when people don't.

whistle tips go whooooooo whooooooooooooooop!!!

sorry had to do it

Swiggles...the purpose of a noisy motorcycle is so that the clueless buffoons driving the carriers hear them, since they clearly don't see them. It is all about protection for hte rider and minimizing the chance they get hit by a car. There is no reason for a noisy street car (says the guy that ran open headers on his 72 Cougar...)

I live two houses off a main street. If I could stand at the corner with my rifle and safely shoot out those idiots' tires without killing anyone, I would. Grrrrr!!

might I suggest moving? (runs from thread before she reloads the rifle)

Why should I move? I'm not the one disturbing the peace (well....until I get my gun).

Today I am driving a Chevrolet 4 door 1 Ton 4X4 with 9" lift and 38" tall tires.

Good thing it's casual Wednesday

PState-I think you have BBB1 beat w/ the Mother Ship. You make my 1/2 Ton Sierra ext. cab 4x4 on 20's w/no lift sound like a Chevy Luv.

Shoot, you make my (now gone) 1 Ton F 350 Dually Twin Turbo Diesel King Ranch sound like a Ford Ranger.

I'd be willing to bet that you rarely meet snow drifts that are able to hold you back.

you know what they say about guys who have to drive big trucks...compensating...

I drive a big truck...

It's not that big. I'm just sayin.

For the record, Mr. Gilmore, the truck wasn't even mine. It belonged to Mrs (to be) Pup. That's when I was "compensating" with my G8 GT.

I think we need a poll. How big is YOUR truck?

...be sure and include an "N/A" with that poll.

It doesn't snow where I live... unless Jerry World is hosting a Super Bowl



Funny thing... I'm not a guy

I want one of these!
http://www.f650pickups.com/

Just a little something that quietly says " you're on my road ".

And "Mazda" can be on the same line with NA.

Now THAT is my kind of truck!!!

Yikes!!! Keep those monsters away from me!!!

::missing BOL music notes::
A hunting we will go!
A hunting we will go!
Hi Ho the Dairy-oh!
A Hunting we will go!

Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting Prius'...heh heh heh!

Guess I'm glad I park mine in the garage.

After looking at those photos I have Jimmy Hendrix's Voodoo Child playing in my head now for some reason. "Well,When I stand up next to a mountain And I chop it down with the edge of my hand"

::shrugs::

I like cars better. But I have no use for a big truck where I live. All-wheel-drive is more important because of our winters, and I can get that on a sedan. ETA: And gas mileage, which still means a sedan over a tank.

**sigh**
Can't buy these new, but still...


LIKE!

Awesome paint job!

Well, I guess I have the best of both worlds. 3/4 ton diesel turbo cummings and a miata.

Joker, I bet that Miata will almost fit in your truck's bed.

I need me one of those - maybe with a gun turret added after market

Yeah, I've never been accused of being overly green. I have a big truck, I have motorcycles. I guess they are efficient (42-50mpg) and I am currently shopping for some sort of sports car.
I like what I like. But i'm ok with people that liike dinkymobiles. They're cute!

BTW PP, I think you can order one thaty way.

Mythbusters did a shown on which is greener, a car or motorcycle. They tested it with motorcycles and cars from each of the last three decades. The results were surprising. The motorcycle released a great deal higher percentage of pollutants than a car of the same era.

This is why my wife wants me to get rid of our Land Cruiser.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/91953-mud-100-series-photos-thread-254.html
I'm addicted

...guess I'll get on my bike and pedal my way home....trying not to get killed by carrier trucks and suburban boats.

Just DON'T buy a Dodge Caliber. Rent one and you'll see why.

I loooooove my 2010 Altima. I got the fully loaded version and it's been my favorite car, and I've had five Hondas, one Toyota, and one Hyundai.

The new styling on the Altima is sweet. I like the CVT in mine and it doesn't hurt that the transmission came with a 10yr, 120,000 mile warranty.

And I'm with swiggles, I love the keyless ignition. I never even get my keys out of my purse anymore. The button has spoiled me!

I love my 2005 Altima. The V-6 has lots of power, it handles great and is pretty comfortable. The Bose stereo sounds great but the radio reception is not too good since the antenna is embedded in the glass. I've had to put some $ into it over the years but it has never left me stranded. (jinx)

I actually think it would...I know the Smart Car would!

I can fit 2 Honda 420's in it.

The Altima SE-R is one of the most little known Baddazz sedans built! Properly tuned the V-6 (basically the same engine as the 350Z) can make about 300+ horespopwer! And for a FWD, it handles amazingly well! Altima V6's are a great bargain!

Like I said, I'm now driving a 2007 Altima. But before that, I was driving a 1999 Maxima with a V6. I loooooooved that car! It had Bose, leather seats, sun roof....all the bells and whistles that were alive in 1999. My husband and I always had to trade off replacing our vehicles because we could only afford one car payment at a time. Well....it came my turn to trade mine in and so I reluctantly got rid of my Maxima for my Altima (which I love, love, love, too). Then.....hubby had a mid-life crisis and left me for another woman. Had I known that was going to happen, I NEVER would have traded in my Maxima....would still be driving it today. It was a frikin' race car.

Swiggles, my wife and I have been doing the switch every other car too. It's her turn this time. We are car shopping again this weekend. I will have her test a new Altima, but we've been looking at the certified used Acuras too. I hate buying new or newer cars. Once my kids are driving, my mid life crisis car will hopefully, be a 370Z or Infiniti G370 Coupe instead of a new woman. Unless my wife finds a new man first of course.

Ha....very funny rusty. I'm glad you're not looking for a new woman and SHE BETTER NOT be finding a new man. But we'll stay off the divorce subject because after the passage of two years since divorce, I'm still pretty hurt and bitter over the split from the man I truly loved. BUT....I'm to the point of needing a male companion......any takers???????? Ha ha. Give Pale Rider some competition.

My dream car is the GT-R ....only about $97,000 for a new one.

I hear ya about the Maxima. I'm driving a 2003, fully loaded. It definitely has good giddyup! The Bose speakers are so good that I'm constantly thinking the car is making a funny sound, and then I realize that the speakers are picking up every aural nuance of the music.

My only regret was getting black leather. Way too hot in the summer.

True...about the black. My Maxima was tan with beige leather seats. When I was looking for a replacement, I had a choice of two 2007 Altimas on the lot ('cause they just don't stay on the lot very long!!!). One was red with black leather seats.....nice looking, but I chose a dark slate gray with gray "cloth" seats. So I DO miss my leather.

as requested

What kind of family doesn't have a pickup truck?

Trade it in on a new one. We picked up a fully loaded 2012 a few months back. The air conditioned seats are wonderful! Especially here in FL!

One where the pick-up truck went with the divorce. I do have a cross-over but that wasn't in the poll.

^^^Ditto^^^

make that 3....

and what the heck is a cross over, sounds like something transgenered....

It is a cross between a car and SUV. Big enough to haul stuff but still drives more like a car. Mine is the Ford Edge.

Families that own ve-HICK-els?

No pick up truck; however we have a 2002 Ford Expedition that we used to haul things around (and a trailer when/if necessary). Don't drive it much, though.

Whelp....as you know....I don't have a family. It's just me. And I'm not a truck kind of gal. Say.....would you drive up in your pick-up and help me with some things? I need to transport my metal recyling out to the metal place. I need a queen size mattress and a table and chairs brought to my house from my Mom's house and I need a table (from my house) and a king-size mattress and box springs (from Mom's house) transported to my sister's house. When can I expect you?

holey moley Swig! that is 10 hour drive one-way! I would have to charge dinner.

No need for a truck here. I love my little station wagon (a/k/a my old lady sports car) - it's perfect for me and my pups.

Pale - I don't think Swigs cares how you pay for dinner.

Ok.....we can go to dinner. It was fun last time. And we can invite Queen Mum since we're all three in the same boat.

I don't.....as long as he pays for mine too.

I just need "Man"-power help. They moved my furniture into my garage during my remodel and I'll be danged if I am going to pay them another $500 (yes, they charged me $500 to move my furniture out for me) for them to move it back in. I have a dining room with chairs only, an office without a desk and filing cabinet, bedroom furniture in my garage and my daughter's(actually it has been in her garage for a year waiting on the remodel). But it's tough being a single lady.

Yes, it is. I'm pretty self sufficient...I'm in shape and I lift weights, work out, etc, but there are just things a woman can't do. And as for moving furniture, I venture to say most men can't manage the heavy stuff.

I have managed with some pretty heavy stuff, but it's too big for one person. Oh, well....It's only me and if anyone comes to my house and complains they better be offering to help!

I know what you mean. For example, I can lift my lawnmower, but it's too big and awkward to lift it into my trunk. There was a really, really heavy coffee table that my x made. I actually sold it in the garage sale but the guy never came back to pick it up. Meanwhile, daughter got mad, saying she wants it. So.....BY MYSELF....I moved that coffee table to the storerooom out back by scooting it along on beach towels....scoot off one towel onto the next....move first towel to front, scoot, repeat. It nearly killed me, but I did it without a scratch to the dang table.

the furniture moving thread is over >>>>>>>>>>>>

You girls probabaly wouldn't have a clue what all I've done as a single female over the years. I can, generally, call up the help I need when it's an awkward heavy thing tho. But anyone needs help with those types of things. (even including towels) YOu can get pretty darn inventive sometimes. I quickly learned how to use a 'cheater second set of hands' hanging fence boards/barn boards, etc...

Anything else? Electrical, plumbing, some mechanical, etc...I get along pretty darn well. But then I'm also really, really stubborn that way.

know what you mean. For example, I can lift my lawnmower, but it's too big and awkward to lift it into my trunk. There was a really, really heavy coffee table that my x made. I actually sold it in the garage sale but the guy never came back to pick it up. Meanwhile, daughter got mad, saying she wants it. So.....BY MYSELF....I moved that coffee table to the storerooom out back by scooting it along on beach towels....scoot off one towel onto the next....move first towel to front, scoot, repeat. It nearly killed me, but I did it without a scratch to the dang table.


Get a Pick-up some ramps and a hand truck. problem solved.

And you do not have to take advantage of Pale Unless he want you to.

If you lived a little closer, I think BB1 and I would be up to task there, QM. To me, that's a lot like a good workout.

Thanks! I do live out in the boonies, huh? Although, did you see the headlines on the news this morning? Channel 5 was here doing interviews with kids this afternoon. Should be on the 5 & 6 news.

I had a handicap fold up really long metal ramp but I gave it to my handicapped sister so that she can roll herself out into her garage. I think I could have rolled my lawnmower into my trunk using that.

A "hand truck"....ha.....never heard it called that. I like "dolly" better.

I bought a 2012 Accord in May. I've gotten about 450 miles to a tank. Pretty outstanding, considering I had a Mazda3 before that and got about 320 miles to a tank.
The cars got a huge backseat, plenty of options and it's not too badly priced. My cars pretty standard but it's got more bells and whistles than my Mazda (which I freakin miss like [censored] but the thing was aging badly).
Good luck.

I moved an inflateble pool lounge....all by myself!

I can get 450 miles out of a tank but I have a 35 gallon tank.

Lowes, and I'm sure a few other places, sell these disks that you put under the furniture legs to slide them along the floor. There are different ones for carpet vs hardwood/tile.

They work well except for going up steps into a house.

Or when you have to turn a table on its side to scoot it.

Bump. Finally pulled the trigger this weekend on a new-to-us 2010 Audi A4 2.0T Quatro w/ the 6 speed manual. Lucky my wife drives this the majority of the time because I would end up walking after losing my license. I feel like a teenager when I actually get to drive it. Anyone out there been around these? From what I can find the main concern with these is the oil consumption from the turbo, but it doesn't appear to be a full blown epedemic. We bought it certified w/ up to 100k factory warranty so hopefully we can stay out of the shop. It had a super clean carfax and Autocheck though.

Should have bought her the R8. Tee Hee!

Believe me QM, my sons and I were salivating over the R8, but $115k was a little out of the budget and that was on sale.

She would have loved you Fifty Shades of Forever!

I aim to please...but, got to draw the line somewhere. Ha, ha.

oh please...women start this rumor, but ion reality the love only lasts until the next greatest shoe/handbag/clothes/car/trip/home/etc are seen and wanted...

You are correct, happiness.

I had a 1.8T (the same engine with less bore) and it was a workhorse. It lasted me trouble free well past 100k. When it did finally have an issue it was nothing but some checkvalves that failed. Cheap fix. I should point out that mine was heavily tuned as well and it was still very reliable. You need to check out my friends down in Auburn, AL at APR. They are the #1 Audi/Porsche/VW go fast company. They provided all of my aftermarket parts. I would strongly recommend their ECU upgrade. It is cheap, adds a great deal of extra power, maintains its natural drivability and is not detectable by dealer software. You should see some of their AMLS race cars (R8 GT, S4, VW Golf).

That A4 was by far my favorite car. I have had two Audi's and a BMW and I will never own another BMW again. It was easily the worst car I have ever owned. You made an excellent choice. The only downside was the lack of stock power (even underpowered it is a blast to drive) but it can easily and cheaply be fixed with a stealth ECU upgrade. If you consider it I would also add the Valet map that drops the power to that of a lawn mower.

I am extremely jealous. I miss my Audis but I am saving now and it should only be two more years before my next one. They are worth the wait.

www.goAPR.com

as usual

Tiger, tell me more about this ECU upgrade. You say it's not detectable either to void the warranty? That's scary but you have my attention. What is the valet map?

I was so happy that my wife liked this car. She was wanting an SUV like a Denali, but I was scared to death of what it would cost in gas as a daily driver. Plus, I didn't want to give up my 98 land cruiser. That's our weekend warrior and my precious. I would be so sad to see it go. It sounds like some people are getting over 30mpg w/ these A4s w/ the manual shift. Not bad if it's true and AWD to boot.

I averaged 32mpg and I had a heavy foot. (2003 A4 1.8T APR Stage 3+)

APR's ECU upgrade is a software program designed to be controlled through your cruise control fob (at least at that time). It does nothing to the factory mapping. It overlays its own map over the factory and has the ability to be turned off completely so when you take the car in for servicing and they connect it to the diagnostic machine it only sees the factory default.

It is genius. Most other ECU upgrades are chips manually added to the ECU board that permanently remap the factory settings. APR was the first to use this new technique. Now more and more are trying it for obvious reasons.

They give you several options on mapping types (you can get all if you want). The standard is default/9 octane. They have a 93 octane and race (100 octane) map as well as the Valet map I mentioned before. The Valet is great for, well, valets as well as kids. It significantly drops the power so you do not have to worry about kids racing your car.

Call the guys at APR and speak with them. They love to talk cars and will answer any question you might have.

When I first met these guys 12 years ago there were about 5 guys working out of a rental garage in Auburn. They had been in business for 2-3 years and had designed only the ECU upgrade and an exhaust system. Now, they have a massive facility with their own test track. They have dealers throughout the US and have a huge global network as well. They field their own racing teams and build race cars for other teams. They have a wide variety of in house designed parts for almost all VW, Audi, Porsche, Seat, Skoda and the occasional Lamborghini.

They might not make the fastest cars but their reliability cannot be questioned. I know when I get my S6 in two years I am sending it straight to them to make it a monster.

I just checked and they are running a sale until October 14th on the ECU and select parts. Good luck, have fun and let me know if you decide to go that way. I am jealous. I miss my A4...

do they have chips for trucks?

At 93 octane the ECU upgrade jumps hp to 234hp from 200hp and torque to 333ft-lbs from 260ft-lbs with peak gains of 40 and 74 respectively. The price is $549.

No Peepers, unfortunately they only work on the makes I mentioned above.

Peepers, check out Troyer Performance for truck chips. I've not done a chip or tune on my truck, but know several people who have used this company and been very pleased.

TJ, I don't want to click from work. Is it a local company? Is it a true chip, piggy back unit, or do they produce something like other truck "chips in a box" format that plugs into truck for manual parameter changes?

They are from Virginia. The owner was on a message board for Ford F-150's that I used to frequent. They have several kinds of tuners and chips. They do custom tuning to increase power, fuel mileage and to help enhance performance of after market accessories as well if I recall. All I know is that a lot of the people on that board bought their stuff and were very happy with it and with the customer service they received.