Time for a not-quite-midlife-crisis car(s); need recommendations

[Neil K Walk]

In a couple of months we will have the kid carriers paid off and driving lessons are a few years down the road. My wife is making noises that we need to get new vehicles and that now is the time to not skimp.

I don't need recommendations for a roadster that can only haul a golf bag or tennis rackets here. I'm talking something that is nice but is functional yet fun. I'm resisting her push for an SUV because in my eyes they are oversized gas guzzling station wagons. She needs something for work and to haul groceries, preferably with heated leather seats and a heated steering wheel and remote starter. I could see her in a BMW. I'm a little more blue collar/cargo short rather than white collar though so I want something a little more capable. I need something that can haul lumber and mountain bikes - and have someplace to strap a couple of kayaks to the roof if need be.

[rmp]

After struggling with sedan's for many years, and always needing something bigger to do stuff around the house, pack up for 2 week vacations, pickup items like sofas, large boxes with TVs in them.. etc..

I finally bought a Silverado short bed with a full cab. It was not new, it was used but low miles, well cared for and just about mint. Seriously... vehicle purchase wise,, Best Move Ever!

My advice, take it or leave it... based on what you're saying you want at least get some sort of SUV.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

I'm talking something that is nice but is functional yet fun. I'm resisting her push for an SUV because in my eyes they are oversized gas guzzling station wagons.

Actual station wagons are great. Too bad you can't get many in the US any more. My last car a few years ago was a BMW 328 wagon. Some say it handles even better than a sedan-style 3-series because of the weight distribution. It's a great mix of fun and utility. But you can't get new ones since they stopped importing the wagons a few years ago. Maybe something like an Audi or Volvo wagon, especially the Allroad or XC which tend to be a little more SUV-like, so a good "tweener".

[catdaddy]

Check out the 2020 Subaru Outback. https://www.subaru.com/vehicles/outback/features.html

Heated steering wheel- check!

Heated front seats- check!

All-Wheel Drive for the hills, ice and snow in the 'burgh- check!

Good ground clearance to navigate those infamous potholes in the 'burgh which multiply like rabbits and attack cars like a rhino that's escaped from The Highland Park Zoo- check!

Roof rack for your kayaks/bikes/etc.- check!

Great cargo space for lumber, building supplies, etc.- check!

Highway gas mileage decent at 30-33mpg depending on the engine.


My brother-in-law who lives near Pittsburgh bought one two years ago and absolutely loves it.

[HodgdonExtreme]

+1 on a station wagon. Makes me sad so few are available in USA.

I have an older Subaru legacy wagon. It drives and handles like a car, and you can fit just about as much stuff into it as you can an SUV.

I have a trailer hitch on it, and it pulls a 6'x8' utility trailer just fine. With the trailer, it can handle a lot more than any pickup (without trailer, of course), unless you are trying to haul lots of weight. The subie doesn't have the power to pull heavy loads, but for much, lumber, and other homeowner odds and ends, it does the job great.

I wouldn't BUY any European car. They take a big hit on depreciation when you sell them, and repair/maintenance costs to keep them are insane over the course of 150k miles.

Frankly, the Koreans have really upped their game over the last 5-10 years. The KIAs are really very solid cars for low money. I think the Telluride would satisfy any woman's itch for an SUV.

[Lkristians]

Look at the fully loaded Rav 4. I love my BMW X3, but have been eyeballing the Rav 4. A buddy of mine owns one and it's great. Regular gas to boot.

We also love Acuras. The RDX is fantastic, but uses high test.

Good luck. Have fun!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Lkristians

Look at the fully loaded Rav 4. I love my BMW X3, but have been eyeballing the Rav 4. A buddy of mine owns one and it's great. Regular gas to boot.

We also love Acuras. The RDX is fantastic, but uses high test.

Good luck. Have fun!

Honda CRV is another one to look at, in addition to the Rav 4. I drove a CRV for 10 years before I decided to move on to a sedan a few years back. Great smaller sized, non gas guzzling SUV.

[Chipotle]

It's all in where you fall on the trade-offs. A RAV4, CRV or Santa Fe is an SUV, albeit small, and still drives like an SUV. Heck, even a BMW X-series or Audi Q-series is still an SUV and drives like one IMHO. Japanese and Korean cars are nice, reliable and have good resale, but don't have nearly the "driving fun" factor of a European make (looking at you, Subaru, which stands for "Sometimes Useful But Always Really Underpowered")

And tbh, I think the reliability thing is less true than people think. It may have been that way historically, but pretty much every manufacturer has upped their game. The reputation of Japanese vs Korean vs European vs American cars is largely based on past reputation. My BMW hasn't needed anything besides oil changes and other standard maintenance in 5 years. Euro car dealer service tends to be more expensive, but you can find indy mechanics once you're out of warranty to reduce that cost.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Honda CRV is another one to look at, in addition to the Rav 4. I drove a CRV for 10 years before I decided to move on to a sedan a few years back. Great smaller sized, non gas guzzling SUV.

I'm on my second CRV - I really like them although the turbo in the new models is a little off-putting. For that reason, if I had to replace my CRV tomorrow I'd probably opt for a Subaru Outback or Forester...

[buddyhu]

SUV that is a BLAST to drive and definitely is not a gas guzzler: Tesla Model Y. It might not easily mesh with a more blue collar self-image, but in most other respects, it fits or exceeds the bill. I want one myself, but need to wait until my personal economic picture is a bit more clear.

Audi makes an electric SUV that is slightly larger than the Q3. I liked it but didn’t love it, and the entry was not good for my 6’1” frame (roof was a little low, requiring a lot of caution and neck bending), but my wife still pines for one, and she has some of the same requirements as your wife does. The Tesla is actually a bit cheaper.

Audi Q5 is a nice SUV. A bit of a gas guzzler.

Nothing wrong with any of the Japanese SUV’s mentioned, but they aren’t fun to drive.

A Mini Clubman probably Doesn’t have the hauling capacity you want, but driving one is like driving a go cart...not my cup or tea, but I know people who LOVE their Minis and how they drive.

A used BMW station wagon would be an option.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Check out the 2020 Subaru Outback. https://www.subaru.com/vehicles/outback/features.html

Heated steering wheel- check!

Heated front seats- check!

All-Wheel Drive for the hills, ice and snow in the 'burgh- check!

Good ground clearance to navigate those infamous potholes in the 'burgh which multiply like rabbits and attack cars like a rhino that's escaped from The Highland Park Zoo- check!

Roof rack for your kayaks/bikes/etc.- check!

Great cargo space for lumber, building supplies, etc.- check!

Highway gas mileage decent at 30-33mpg depending on the engine.


My brother-in-law who lives near Pittsburgh bought one two years ago and absolutely loves it.

Check out the Onyx Edition - all the aforementioned goodies plus an ever-so-slightly detuned version (260 vs. 268HP) of the base WRX engine, to provide a nice little kick in the kiester when you mash the gas...

[Chipotle]

BTW, I was told by my friends that buying a BMW did NOT count as a mid-life-crisis car since it was a diesel station wagon. So you may want to take that into account.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Check out the 2020 Subaru Outback. https://www.subaru.com/vehicles/outback/features.html
.

And one of the last remaining new cars with a CD player!

[hubcapsc]

My 2005 r53 supercharged mini cooper has 200,000 miles on it.
I smile every time I get in it. I've maintained it, as required, and
that hasn't been cheap a lot of the time. There's not another car
I want. If something happened to it, I'd probably look for another
of that era on bringatrailer.com or something.

New minis are different, they turbocharge the sporty ones now.
But there's an all-wheel-drive one that I chuckle when I see it...
a little bigger and higher... I call it the mini cooper suv. It is
worth it to go to the mini dealer and see if you and your
wife like it (or any of the other minis)... The Countryman is
the one I'm thinking of.

-Mike

[keith.rogers]

We are on our 2nd CRV in 10 years (first, a 2010, lost to Hurricane Harvey in 2017). These are great cars, and the new ones are quieter, peppier, and get as good or better mileage out of a smaller engine. Oh, and both of ours have been AWD (actually bought the '17 near my sister's in PA because there were no AWD CRVs in TX after that hurricane, literally).

Nice cars are nice, and I've had a BMW (car and bike) and most recently an Acura. (Way back we had Saabs and a Volvo - those were actually better choices IMO until service locations started disappearing.) Anyway, won't do it again. For us, there are better choices that keep us just as safe, and simply give us more money to do other things. We like the small SUV because it's just so darn practical. And, I've got my Miata for fun. (Luckily I live in a place where it's a practical, year-round car.)