HELP me PLEASE!!!!
 

hey yall!!!

Well I'm the market for buying a new car because mine that i got for my 16th birthday is about to finally give up on me. (It's a 99 honda civic) I've taken good care and all that fun stuff it's just about had it's run, i think part of it is because last year i was driving around A LOT in atlanta for my job, plus sometimes coming home from college (about an hour and a half drive) i love my car but i'm not interested in a honda again because I have to buy the car all by myself this time. So I was looking at....

Chevy Trailblazer
Chevy Equinox
Ford Explorer
Ford Expedition
Toyota 4runner

I know I definitely want an SUV because I don't like sitting so low next to 18 wheelers on the interstate and would feel more comfortable sitting a little bit higher. If any of yall have these cars can yall let me know what you like/don't like about them or any other SUV in a reasonable price range for a college student might be a good idea.

thanks guys!!!

Look at the Ford Escape, also. Its big enough to sit above everyone else, but not so big as too be intimidating to the driver.

I rented a Chevy Impala this weekend and I loved it.

Try the Toyota Highlander. I loved mine. Just gave it to my son so I could buy something new. 4runners ride like trucks (very uncomfortable) compared to the Highlander and unless you are a big offroader who plays in the mud, why do you want such a big gas guzzler? They are also much harder to park in parking lots. Test drive both and you'll see the difference. The Honda SUV is really nice too. Read Consumer Reports and get one that's rated good no matter what you pick. It pays off in the long run.

We have a Saturn VUE which is smaller than the ones you mentioned but still enables the driver to be higher than most sedans. It's easier to park this vehicle than some of the larger SUVs, a priority when living in a congested area such as Atlanta.
I also like the no-haggle pricing policy of Saturn. You never feel as if you've been cheated.

i would suggest looking into some kind of hybrid-gas prices are not going to go down, and you are helping the environment too.

I'm just going to say this and you can take it, or leave it.

Less experienced drivers should use caution when selecting an SUV -- sure, you sit higher on the interstate next to trucks, but they also flip over a lot easier!

Another to look at is a Suzuki Grand Vitara. I got a 2006 one back in November of 2006 and I LOVE it. I haven't had any problems with it and I drive it alot (at least 75 miles round trip to work and back a day). It's big enough without being TOO big. Good warranty as well.

thank you all soo much for your help.

tomorrow i'm going back one last time to test drive the cars (the dealerships are all right there together) so i will definitely let yall know how everything goes!!!

Serious question...no offense intended...

How is a '99 Honda about to give up? I have a '94 Honda Civic HB with 260,000 miles on it and it is plugging away just fine. Aren't Hondas known to last just about as long as you can put up with them?

I would do whatever it takes to keep the car running.

But, I'm prolly not the best to ask.....I've bought my car three times over with all the new engines, etc....

But, my car is a 1995 Saturn, so she's about to die anyway.

A lot of it has to do with the wear and tear on it ... it was 4 years old when i got it and had probably about 15,000 miles on it and after i've driven it since 03 .. so about 5 years it's already pushing 120,000 .... i've taken many a road trip and driving in atlanta doesn't help matters much either. don't get me wrong it's a great car but it's seriously about to go.

My 85 Honda lasted 13 years and 180,000 miles. 120,000 miles is practically a virgin for a Honda

4 years old and 15,000? That's pretty much right off the lot.

And I don't think you're going to find an SUV in your pricerange if you can't afford a Honda. The Expedition you listed are about $35,000 WITHOUT any extra features.

FWIW, I have a Chevy Tracker and it's my baby. I got it used after I found out that Chevy wasn't making the Trackers anymore. Plan on running it until it won't run anymore.

I cannot objectively speak for the vehicles on your list, because while I have driven each of them I find them all too large and too fuel inefficient for my purposes. But, I will say that if you are looking for a vehicle to feel safe in, please bear one thing in mind: the size of your vehicle does not keep you safe from a semi truck. Avoiding the semi's blind spots, not cutting off and slamming on your breaks in front of a semi, and generally driving defensively are infinitely better protection on the road.

It doesn't matter if you drive a Chevy Aveo or a Ford F650, if you get in an accident with a semi the semi wins. Your best bet is to drive responsibly and respectfully around those very large vehicles, and don't think the size of your vehicle will matter one bit next to an 80,000 pound moving object. The vast majority of accidents are not caused by semis, anyway.

Just my opinion. :)

Do you actually know it's about to give up? I have a 1999 Mazda and I want a new car but I sure don't need one right now - the mechanic said it has at least 75,000 miles left in it.

I don't know how you can afford those if you can't afford a Honda either - why not get a Fit or a CRV?