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The Right Car for Me | TrueDelta

Member6335

Hi there - I am a mess. I have been shopping for 18mo, on & off. Always go back to Ford Edge. Hoping for 2011-13, but budget is saying prev. generation. My SUV HAS to have a sun/moonroof, so that hugely affects cost. Seat 5, but 7 would be a bonus. AWD/4WD a must. How many miles I am ok with depends on brand. Feel I should go with V6 b/c of AWD weight in the long run, tho have heard with the newer 4cyl, this old-school rule does not apply? Also feel 4cyl is too wimpy for hills; I drive lots of long ones. Have driven 2013 Highlander. Nice, but 2011-13 still out of my price range w/sunroof, and the look is a little off. 2013 CR-V, poor uphill (and still not visually appealing to me). 2013 Pilot, nice, but had just driven Highlander, and it had better visibility, and the size just seemed to fit me better. Would still consider Pilot, but most still out of my price range w/roof. Was hoping not to go earlier than 2012. Not clear on what real-world mileage typically is, tho TrueDelta does have a few in their MPG list. 2013 Equinox, really quite terrible visibility looking back and to the sides, like when merging or changing lanes. Rear headrests so huge combined with very short rear window & small back side windows. 2013 Kia Sorento, NICE!!! Almost bought, but then a mechanic friend told me Kia and Hyundai are considered disposible at 100,000, or so. I tend to keep my cars 10-12 years. Looking for dependable/reliable, and hopefully not break the bank when, inevitably, repairs do need to be done. And on top of all that, I do need to love my car. I have had the pleasure of a 1996 4runner for the past 10 years and have LOVED it! Hard to go back to utilitarian and sensible. I have got to like how it looks. I LOVE the look of the Traverse. But real world MPG stats and reliability stats seem kind of dismal, from what I can find. I am female, 5ft, 3in, 56 yrs old. But not dead. Financially, this might be the last time I get to pick a car I can love. But, still feel I should not go over $25,000. So, after all that info, what I am mostly writing to ask is about the 2010 Ford Edge under the hood, and all its counterparts. Basically, its reliability? What do you think for between 50,000 and 150,000 miles. Good chance of holding up? Or not? ANY input of anything I have mentioned would be appreciated. Thank you so much...Sunnie

Hi there. I'm back again, this time with good news. I've finally bought my car. Through my long search, I was able to finally come to the clear conclusion as to the order of my priorities in this car search. Number 1 was it HAD to have a sunroof. That is an intregral part of the puzzle, b/c on most cars, that determines price point. Number 2 was price. I just did not want to go over $23k and preferably closer to $20k. Number 3 was reliability. Which kept me going back to Toyota and Honda. Number 4 was bells & whistles. I LOVE driving. So while I'm using the car, I want stuff. Number 5 was fuel mileage. As much as I'd love mid to high 20's, I'd settle for at least 20. I really thought looks/height was going to be rated higher on this list, and it surprised me very much when it came in at number 6. And that realization was what finally made my purchase decision. Once I came to peace with that list, I bought a 2010 Toyota Venza AWD, Blizzard Pearl with panoramic sunroof. $22k with 46k miles, 1 owner, clean carfax, from a dealer. I was about to buy a 2013 or '14 RAV4, but they were just too basic in my price range. I would like to send a big thank you to those of you who have given me feedback, suggestions, and answers to my questions. I sure have appreciated this website throughout my search ...sunnie

Preferred Bodystyle(s): SUV

Car Needs: Family transporter

Need minimum of 5 seats

Will consider both new and used cars
Maximum mileage: 50000
Maximum age: 7 years

Maximum price: US $ 25000

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Response from mkaresh

11:51 am August 1, 2015

The Edge should be okay up to 100k miles or so, but I'm not confident about its reliability after that point.

For long-term reliability, nothing beats a Honda or Toyota, which is why they cost much more than an Edge of the same model year.

It's too soon to say how the latest Hyundais and Kias will do when 10-plus years old. They could be better than past ones.

Overall, the safest bet considering what you've liked and how long you'll keep the car seems to be the Highlander. Alternatively, you can spend less for the Edge up front, but spend more a few years from now (and/or replace it sooner, at which point it'll have less resale value than a Highlander would).

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Toyota Highlander
Ford Edge

Response from mwcten

6:30 pm August 1, 2015

I'd agree that the Highlander is a good choice if you're dropping $25k, as would be the Pilot. Your other choices (Edge, Sedona) are legitimate as well, though, especially if you're spending less than your max budget. I don't know that I'd reject a Sedona out of hand for reliability concerns. You can see their data on this site; they do alright; not quite Toyota/Honda reliability, but not bad.

A Mazda CX-7 could be an option as well (made until 2012); kind of in the same vein as the Edge/Sedona. Some engine issues, but, for a 2011 for example, they're 10k cheaper than a Highlander with your options.

The big thing with getting the 10 years out of a vehicle economically is going to be as much your repair strategy as the vehicle type. If you just take your vehicle to the closest dealer and do everything they tell you to do, you could get eaten alive on repair costs. But if you find a good independant mechanic who charges actual parts prices (salvage when economical) plus labor, you'll do OK. Just research the problem to make sure the dealer isn't doing the repair for free (Toyota does this sometimes).

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Mazda CX-7

Response from mkaresh

9:06 pm August 1, 2015

On the Mazda CX-7: the first few model years at least were VERY unreliable. No data on more recent years, when they started offering a non-turbo engine.

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Response from Member6335

8:39 pm August 3, 2015

Thank you for your responses. They're much appreciated. Any opinions out there on the long term quality of a 4cyl with awd? How much does horsepower/torque play into that equation? ...Sunnie

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Response from mkaresh

10:06 pm August 3, 2015

It'll depend on how hard you tend to push a car, and on the specific car. The Honda CR-V, with a four-cylinder and optional AWD, is among the most reliable models in our stats.

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Response from Member6335

11:11 pm August 4, 2015

For a 4cyl, I'm currently considering the 2013-14 Rav4, and possibly the Mazda CX-5 2.5L (tho I haven't driven one). I've not considered the Rav before b/c i didn't like the rear stylizing...at all. I'm warming up to it. Very good test drive. Can't ignore the good reputation of the Toyota name. It was pretty nice going up a hill on the test drive, where Honda's CR-V had to be pressed to the floor. I'm not an aggresive driver. What is your opinion of the current 2.5L 4 cyl in the Rav4, and Mazda CX-5 2.5L 4cyl? Better chance of them holding up with the awd, than the 4cyls of the past? ...sunnie

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Response from mkaresh

10:56 am August 5, 2015

Especially in vehicles of that size I think they'll hold up fine.

In general major transmission problems are more common than major engine problems. The transmission is the weaker link, and it's stressed less with a smaller engine.

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