GM SUV sales in freefall...........

[Notmuchlonger]

How is their reliability? I've always thought of them as "cool" little cars that were cheap .

Pretty good since they back them up with the best or one of the best warranty's in the industry.

My parents had over 150k on theirs before they got another one. So far so good with ours no problems.
However, you wont confuse one with any kind of pizazz or sportiness.

 

[samclem]

How come it is rare for the average car owner to admit that the "cool" factor was a part of their decision process when trying to justify their choices?

For some, the cool factor is huge.

"I'm Tim. I drive an Aries . . ." "YouTube - 88 Dodge Aries Ad

 

[Texas Proud]

How is their reliability? I've always thought of them as "cool" little cars that were cheap .

I will tell you that I was very impressed with this car... a friend of mine asked me to test drive cars with her and this was one.... I did not drive it as the salesman came along with us.... but it looks very nice, felt like it was a 'bigger' car than it was.... and accelerated decent... I think it is in the 27 to 30 mpg combined range.... it is on my radar when I need to replace one of mine... but also will look at the Sonata with more room etc...

 

[W2R]

How come it is rare for the average car owner to admit that the "cool" factor was a part of their decision process when trying to justify their choices?

Maybe because it isn't? The "cool factor" was a Big Deal to me in my teens, but I couldn't afford a car then anyway!

Before I bought my Solara, I e-mailed both of my big brothers and asked them what car for under $20K would meet the criteria of reliability, low mpg, and safety, in that order. One brother e-mailed "first choice: Camry, runner up: Accord". The other brother e-mailed (simultaneously) "first choice: Accord, runner up: Camry". So, I set out to buy one or the other.

I tried to drive to the Honda dealer, couldn't find it, and my transmission started to give up on the way home. The next day I limped the car to the Toyota dealer and went for a test drive in a Camry, but the seat was very uncomfortable. Since a Solara is essentially the two-door Camry, and the cheapest one in the lot had a more comfortable (aftermarket) driver's seat, I bought it.

Cool? Well, if comfort is cool, then I am guilty!

 

[Bestwifeever]

For some, the cool factor is huge.

"I'm Tim. I drive an Aries . . ." "YouTube - 88 Dodge Aries Ad

Maybe there was something about trading in a 100K Dodge Minivan, with a ride that would damage your kidneys and let in so much road noise that you couldn't carry on a conversation, for the superquiet supersmooth ride of an MDX that got better mileage. Several 3,000 mile road trips later, still real happy with it (apologies to anyone who doesn't understand the colloquial use of "real" here ).

 

[Surfdaddy]

Mazda 5

There has to be mid ground somewhere between the hauling capacity and comfort of an SUV (and the good ones are like magic carpets on the Interstates) and the fuel efficiency of a car. I can think of the old Highlander, some smaller minivans, and a bunch of station wagons such as the Mazda6 wagon when it was still available.

We have a Mazda 5 (they don't even advertise it). This is a "tall wagon/tiny minivan". It's in the low $20's equipped with auto climate control, nav, and leather. It has sliding doors so that it doesn't ding the car next to you when the kids get out. It handles like a sporty car. It has decent but not outstanding power, and gets 30 mpg on the highway and 23-25 around town. It seats 4 in two rows, and if you give up storage you can get two more small people or adults in the back row of two seats. It's totally practical if you need some reasonable room but don't want a big vehicle.

 

[chinaco]

For a while, the SUV and Mini Van seemsed to replace the wagon... The wagon ( wagonlike) vehicle seems to be making a bit of a comeback.

However you choose to describe it, a hatch back vehicle can have some advantages.

Our next vehicle purchase will be something with highway mpg >30 and city => 25.

 

[cantlogin]

...If you wish to revel in your illiteracy, that's your privilege.

I’d sincerely appreciate the efforts of anyone who would edit and correct the spelling and grammar of my posts for free.