New vehicle recommendations

[Pointedstick]

My wife and kids were in a car accident two days ago (other driver's fault). Everyone is fine, but the car was destroyed. We're looking for a new vehicle, and not being much of a gearhead, I thought I'd solicit recommendations.

Our criteria:
- Safe
- Reliable
- Large cargo capacity, so probably a hatchback or a minivan
- Not too expensive since it's likely we'll be paying out of pocket for the whole thing (no collision insurance and other driver's liability is still contested)
- High MPG, but not super important since we don't drive much

Don't care list:
- Looks cool
- Fast
- Good handling
- Etc. It's a tool, not a status symbol


Damn I hate cars.

[Tyler]

Yikes. Glad to hear everyone is OK.

The Honda Fit is always a popular choice for people looking to maximize utility for the buck. If/when I decide to get a new car, it's on my short list.

I'm also a big fan of my Toyota Rav4. It doesn't have the best gas mileage, but it's not too bad and the V6 gets the same mileage as the 4-cylinder (for my year, at least). It has enough space that we've fit in a washer AND dryer before, and I also like that you can get it with AWD (something I consider a safety feature in bad conditions).

[flyingpylon]

Given the criteria you have listed, maybe look for a used Honda Odyssey. I bought one new in 2004 (my wife's car) and have been very happy with it. Every time we think about selling it to get something "cooler" we realize there is simply nothing more functional. Love the fact that I can lay a full 4x8 sheet of plywood or whatever in the back or even longer boards if I lay them between the front seats. Not that I do that all the time, but it sure comes in handy.

And of course I'm glad to hear everyone is okay!

[Pointedstick]

Given the criteria you have listed, maybe look for a used Honda Odyssey. I bought one new in 2004 (my wife's car) and have been very happy with it. Every time we think about selling it to get something "cooler" we realize there is simply nothing more functional. Love the fact that I can lay a full 4x8 sheet of plywood or whatever in the back or even longer boards if I lay them between the front seats.

Okay now that's convincing!

She was driving a 2007 Jetta. Nobody had a scratch. It was an amazing vehicle… while it lasted.

[drumminj]

Glad to hear everyone's okay!

One suggestion I'll throw out based on your criteria: Subaru Forester. Incredibly utilitarian, really safe (go read up on some of the Subaru forums and you can see the types of horrible accidents folks are able to "walk away" from), decent MPG, very reliable. Can get a pretty stripped down, no-frills version for low $20s, AWD standard (big for us up here in the Pac. NW)

Really enjoyed mine until I got rear-ended by another Subaru on the interstate. Other driver's car was totalled; mine should have been, but they ended up spending about the replacement value of the car to repair it (no clue why). Both walked away with no injuries.

[Mountaineer]

My wife and kids were in a car accident two days ago (other driver's fault). Everyone is fine, but the car was destroyed. We're looking for a new vehicle, and not being much of a gearhead, I thought I'd solicit recommendations.

Our criteria:
- Safe
- Reliable
- Large cargo capacity, so probably a hatchback or a minivan
- Not too expensive since it's likely we'll be paying out of pocket for the whole thing (no collision insurance and other driver's liability is still contested)
- High MPG, but not super important since we don't drive much

Don't care list:
- Looks cool
- Fast
- Good handling
- Etc. It's a tool, not a status symbol


Damn I hate cars.

Ugh, car accident. I've been obsessing over auto safety for the past few weeks, following a traffic accident that killed a young man that worked for me. He was in an '07 Accord and was rear ended by a teenager in a Mercedes ML. She walked away, he died. Auto accidents are the biggest risk we all face on a day to day basis.

The best site I've found so far on auto safety is this one:
http://www.informedforlife.org/

The NHTSA and IIHS star ratings are inadequate. A 5-star sedan won't fare well in an accident with a 5-star large SUV. This site attempts to take weight and "compatibility factor" into account in its ratings.

What kind of car was your wife driving, in this accident?

Glad you are ok. +1 for the informed for life website. Safety is my most important criteria when selecting a vehicle - if you are dead not much else matters. Given that, Consumer Reports indicates most anything Toyota is very reliable. If you don't drive much, I agree fuel economy, comfort, handling other than accident avoidance capability, are hardly worthwhile metrics.

Edit: In my experience, find a good dealer (a difficult task). Ask around. A good dealer service department (honest and competent) is worth almost as much as picking the right vehicle.

[barrett]

We drive a 2008 Volvo XC-70. Gas mileage is not good but it's solid as a rock. With the back seats folded down, it's got a good amount of cargo space. I hate that it uses so much gas but it makes my wife feel safe. Me too. And they run forever. Good choice if you just don't put on a lot of miles.

And, yes, great to hear everyone is OK.

[Mountaineer]

Glad you are ok. +1 for the informed for life website. Safety is my most important criteria when selecting a vehicle - if you are dead not much else matters. Given that, Consumer Reports indicates most anything Toyota is very reliable. If you don't drive much, I agree fuel economy, comfort, handling other than accident avoidance capability, are hardly worthwhile metrics.

Edit: In my experience, find a good dealer (a difficult task). Ask around. A good dealer service department (honest and competent) is worth almost as much as picking the right vehicle.

Mountaineer, you drive a Volvo too, right? Which model do you have? (I'm sure it's very cool, since all you LCMS guys are way cool).

It's unfortunate that low cost vehicles with high mpg tend to be very light weight and therefore not very safe (despite their 5 star rankings).

2012 Volvo XC60. Great car so far - 43k. Wife drives 1996 Volvo 850 - 102k. Also great car. My previous was a 1995 Volvo 850 - 210k. All purchased new.

[MachineGhost]

Damn I hate cars.

Damn, that sucks! What are the odds? You're fortunate to still be breathing if the car is totally destroyed. You could have disappeared off here and none of us would have known why.

The way I look at a car purchase is by looking at total cost of ownership (TCO) to be the lowest relative to the absolutely safest cars which I think Consumer Reports grades upon and is the #1 priority for the vast majority of purchasers. TOC can be had at http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/total-cost-of-ownership/

So find the safest car with the lowest TCO.

I'd say take a look at the Outbacks for a compromise between a small gaudy hatchback and a large pregnant van. No idea of TCO or safety.

[Pointedstick]

I'm strongly leaning toward a used Honda Odyssey right now. Seems like they last forever and can do everything I need. Safety is basically tops among all cars, period. If I'm reading this right, nobody ever died in a 2011 Honda Odyssey in the year after it was released.

[MachineGhost]

I'm strongly leaning toward a used Honda Odyssey right now. Seems like they last forever and can do everything I need. Safety is basically tops among all cars, period. If I'm reading this right, nobody ever died in a 2011 Honda Odyssey in the year after it was released.

Really, PS, you sure that's gonna work? It's pretty retro!