If you were buying a car today...

[citrine]

Financedude......I'm not sure, but it takes $48 to fill up the tank and it took me two fill ups to get to Morgantown, NC. I encountered no traffic on the way down and was doing between 70-85 miles/hr. I filled up the car 6 times and it came to give or take 290 bucks......amazing car!

 

[FinanceDude]

Financedude......I'm not sure, but it takes $48 to fill up the tank and it took me two fill ups to get to Morgantown, NC. I encountered no traffic on the way down and was doing between 70-85 miles/hr. I filled up the car 6 times and it came to give or take 290 bucks......amazing car!

Not bad..... My Honda Accord gets 34-35 at 70mph on cruise with the AC on......which I will take........

 

[Finance Dave]

I would personally avoid American union made cars and go 3-4 yrs old (someone else eats the depreciation).

The research shows that car quality is not determined by who "builds" the car, but rather who "designs" it. I agree on the 3-4 years comment, although I don't follow it (cars are a hobby of mine).

Dave

 

[Finance Dave]

The prius will apparently get 80 mpg....

Why You Should Wait Until 2010 to Buy a New Car | EcoGeek

The article says "could", not "will". These articles are notorious for being way wrong.

 

[SarahW]

Oh, dear. Everyone is so...frugal. I'm looking at a Cadillac Escalade because I've always wanted one. I hope I don't get egged or anything, haha.

 

[HFWR]

Oh, dear. Everyone is so...frugal. I'm looking at a Cadillac Escalade because I've always wanted one. I hope I don't get egged or anything, haha.

And waste perfectly good eggs? Not on your life...

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Oh, dear. Everyone is so...frugal. I'm looking at a Cadillac Escalade because I've always wanted one. I hope I don't get egged or anything, haha.

Sharp vehicle. Got the money go for it!

 

[rs0460a]

Oh, dear. Everyone is so...frugal. I'm looking at a Cadillac Escalade because I've always wanted one. I hope I don't get egged or anything, haha.

I purchased a Cadillac SRX a few months ago. Since I'm retired, drive little ($50/mo in gas), and "I'm worth it ", I decided to do so.

- Ron

 

[Khan]

Oh, dear. Everyone is so...frugal. I'm looking at a Cadillac Escalade because I've always wanted one. I hope I don't get egged or anything, haha.

Last week I saw TV ads for the Cadillac Escalade, touting its looks and fuel economy.

 

[samclem]

We've talked about some of the safety issues with some of the "pug" cars (the Smart car, and it looks like the Toyota iQ will be of similar form). Given that:
-- The front of a car is where a crumple zone is most beneficial
-- The size (volume) of a car doesn't directly affect gas mileage at all. Weight is what matters in mileage. In fact, a small "pug" has a low fineness ratio and will have higher aerodynamic drag and worse mileage at highway speeds than a slightly longer car with more flowing lines. Ultra-tiny cars may be important in Europe where roads were built for [-]asses[/-] donkey-carts, but it's not so important in the US.

Having the engine in the front makes it more difficult to design a truly effective crumple zone. Now, if we could get the engine out of the front and use the compartment for luggage, we could maximize the area available for energy absorption in a crash. Much better. We would use a unibody design to save weight. Style: The "suppository look"' is so passe', it is what everyone has been doing for 30 years now. The PT Cruiser and the Chevy HHR have already exhausted the 40's/50's nostalgia. What nobody has done yet is re-visit the optimism and styling cues of the 1960s.

Who should field such a car? GM has the most motivation to get it done and save their company. As it happens, they also already have the designs and tooling for such a car. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2009 Corvair! With a small turbodeisel engine and Ralph Nader distracted with his presidential campaign, it could be the thing the bowtie needs to survive.

Contributed as a public service, no royalties requested.

 

[Johnphx]

Financedude......I'm not sure, but it takes $48 to fill up the tank and it took me two fill ups to get to Morgantown, NC. I encountered no traffic on the way down and was doing between 70-85 miles/hr. I filled up the car 6 times and it came to give or take 290 bucks......amazing car!

If we assume $4 (as this trip was recent) per gallon then...

$48 per fill /$4 per gallon X 6 fills = 72 gallons.

This would also work if you said $290 total spent/ $4 per gallon = 72.5 gallons.

So if we go with 72 gallons to travel 1700 miles we get ~23.6 miles per gallon. If this was clear sailing highway mileage, it seems rather unimpressive.

My wife and I just purchased a newer car. A 2007 Hyundai Elantra with everything except power seats including a sunroof. It we paid $13k for it ($14.7 out the door tax/title/license) and we have only filled it once so far. On this first tank we averaged 37.8 mpg. It is very roomy inside (including the back seat) and has a pretty large trunk.

We have only had it about three weeks so far but we are very satisfied to this point. I bought my previous car (1994 Mustang, 6 cyl) 2 years old and drove it for 12 years. I liked that car but it was going to be impractical with a child on the way and was leaking oil and was in need of some repairs.

I looked around quite a bit before getting the Hyundai and it seems Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are commanding quite the premium now. Hyudai's quality is supposed to have increased markedly over the past few years. I guess I will find out.

 

[SarahW]

I purchased a Cadillac SRX a few months ago. Since I'm retired, drive little ($50/mo in gas), and "I'm worth it ", I decided to do so.

- Ron

Ron--the SRX is a beaut; congrats. I'm currently driving a CTS which I love, but I want the 'Lade as my retirement gift to me.

Last week I saw TV ads for the Cadillac Escalade, touting its looks and fuel economy.

I agree that it's a looker, but fuel economy....um, no. (However I'm like Ron and don't drive much so the fuel econ isn't a thang.)

 

[Khan]

Ron--the SRX is a beaut; congrats. I'm currently driving a CTS which I love, but I want the 'Lade as my retirement gift to me.



I agree that it's a looker, but fuel economy....um, no. (However I'm like Ron and don't drive much so the fuel econ isn't a thang.)

Cadillac Escalade: Specs: Curb Weight: Gas Mileage

** Based on 2008 Ward's Large Luxury SUV segment. EPA estimated MPG (2WD) 12 city/19 hwy.

Won't fit in my garage; almost as big as my living room.

 

[Patrick]

Oh, dear. Everyone is so...frugal. I'm looking at a Cadillac Escalade because I've always wanted one. I hope I don't get egged or anything, haha.

Why? It's just a gussied-up Tahoe. Get something nice like a Lexus instead!

 

[W2R]

Hey, it may be gussied-up but the Escalade is a really gorgeous vehicle!! If the gas prices eventually lower the Escalade price sufficiently to interest me, I might think about getting one too.

I think the prices are still coming down from where they are now. Right now they are still too much to interest me.

On the other hand, the Lexus is pretty gorgeous too.... But the Escalade could drop in price so that the dealers could get them off the lots, and I doubt that would happen with the Lexus.

 

[al_bundy]

if SUV prices are still so low, i might looking at getting one next year. i don't drive for work and my wife drives very little for work. the lower cost will make up for the higher gas prices.

even if the rest of the GM truck based SUV's are pieces of junk like a 2005 Explorer that i'm driving this week, still might be worth it if the out the door price is less than $10,000

 

[al_bundy]

Why? It's just a gussied-up Tahoe. Get something nice like a Lexus instead!

RX series are just gussied up station wagon versions of the Avalon with big wheels and one of those raise your car height kit the rednecks used to do back in the day.

 

[SarahW]

Why? It's just a gussied-up Tahoe. Get something nice like a Lexus instead!

Hmmm...well. I've owned both a Tahoe and a Lexus. I think I'll go with the Escalade this time. (And if you really think it's just "gussied up", you should test drive them both. 295 Hp vs 403 Hp. )

 

[SarahW]

RX series are just gussied up station wagon versions of the Avalon with big wheels and one of those raise your car height kit the rednecks used to do back in the day.

And I believe the RX is built on the Camry chassis.

 

[Patrick]

And I believe the RX is built on the Camry chassis.

Already better than any GM product . . .

 

[al_bundy]

someone told me it was Avalon, never checked myself. the headlights look the same as Camry and a lot of other parts are probably identical except for the Lexus label and cost

if you look at car based SUV's, most look like station wagons with big wheels

 

[SarahW]

Already better than any GM product . . .

...but...so ..... boring.

 

[SarahW]

if you look at car based SUV's, most look like station wagons with big wheels

I agree. I'm not much of a "crossover" vehicle fan either. They all look like station wagons to me...only slightly more interesting than minivans. (No offense to any crossover or minivan drivers!!!)

 

[jclarksnakes]

If you were buying a car today, what would you buy? And Why?

That was the original post. Since then we have been all the way from the Honda Fit and Toyota Prius to the Cadillac Escalade and almost everything in between. We are almost as varied in our automobile interests as in our opinions on the economy.
Jeff

 

[Surfdaddy]

I'm very excited at one benefit of high gas prices - the more rapid demise of many large SUVs on the road! I don't like to drive them, don't like a ride like a truck, and I can't see in front of them when they're all over the road.