New car options?

[bUU]

When I said higher end, I meant within the make. For example, it lists a Ford Fusion. There's the Fiesta, then the Focus...then the Fusion. That makes the Fusion higher end for Ford. The list was like that for all the makes. The model listed was at least 2 models from the low end making it higher end.

The Fusion is actually in the middle. At the higher end is the Ford Mustang (sports car), C-Max (super-efficient), and the Taurus (full-size).

 

[kitesurfer2]

i GET 32 in my miata @75 on the slab, 29 in town. I'm 6' and the seat is not all the way back.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

The Fusion is actually in the middle. At the higher end is the Ford Mustang (sports car), C-Max (super-efficient), and the Taurus (full-size).

A Fusion hybrid is rated for 40 mpg on the highway.

 

[ikonomore]

I've been driving a Forester since February 2005. I stupidly chose the turbo version and get 22 MPG (of premium fuel) on the highway if I keep it under 70. If it got 32 instead of 22 i'd keep it another 10+ years

You will never save the difference in money by trading in an old used car on a new $20k car. Just keep what you have if you still like it.

 

[bUU]

A Fusion hybrid is rated for 40 mpg on the highway.

Yes. It is.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I've been driving a Forester since February 2005. I stupidly chose the turbo version and get 22 MPG (of premium fuel) on the highway if I keep it under 70. If it got 32 instead of 22 i'd keep it another 10+ years

turbo foresters rule - I have two of them

 

[aaronc879]

turbo foresters rule - I have two of them

They're a great vehicle if the extra gas cost is negligible to your budget like it is for you. I, however, have a budget of $18000/yr including taxes so the extra cost is fairly high. I have driven to Florida for 6 weeks to 5 months for each of the last 4 winters but am having a hard time keeping my budget down to what I can afford. That means i'll have to either get a better gas mileage vehicle or stay in Wisconsin all winter(who would want to do that).

 

[Big_Hitter]

My wife and I only drive maybe 10,000 miles a year, total so yeah we don't spend that much on fuel.

Good luck with your search!


Oh, one other thing - those cars can be expensive to maintain once they get around 90-100K on the clock. You'll have to do a timing belt among other things. Just make sure you check the oil every fill up on that 05, they like to use oil.

 

[easysurfer]

I went on a 1500 mile round trip the past few days. Not only myself, but at a point had a passenger in the front and three in the back. Now, I'm seriously considering getting an after market rear view back up camera as there were times I could barely see in the back. I forgot to yell "Duck!" when needing to back up .

 

[Koolau]

You'll have to do a timing belt among other things. Just make sure you check the oil every fill up on that 05, they like to use oil.

Yes. Had a car (an 81 Olds Omega) which required changing out the timing belt at 60K. At 62 K it let go. Very lucky that it happened after I pulled off the interstate at my interchange and had come to a stop at the state road. The car simply stopped and would not start. No damage to the valves, but it could have totally lunched the top half of the engine. Do NOT skimp on this required maintenance!

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Yes. Had a car (an 81 Olds Omega) which required changing out the timing belt at 60K. At 62 K it let go. Very lucky that it happened after I pulled off the interstate at my interchange and had come to a stop at the state road. The car simply stopped and would not start. No damage to the valves, but it could have totally lunched the top half of the engine. Do NOT skimp on this required maintenance!

That's one issue I have with the Volkswagen TDI. VW engineers should have used a chain -- but designers at Wolfsburg have a history of going the two-bit route. I'll never own another Volkswagen product.

 

[Big_Hitter]

2.5 turbo scoobs use a belt, if it skips or breaks it's seriously bad juju

 

[aja8888]

It's pretty rare when a modern timing belt breaks on its own. What usually happens is a component in the path of the belt fails, taking the belt off its path. This type of failure becomes a high probability when auto mechanics (or owners) go the short route and only change the belt leaving the water pump, idler pully(s), tensioner, etc. to go for another round of service life.

Good timing belt kits include ALL those parts. Some good timing belt kits even include replacement "torque to yield" (stretch) bolts which MUST be changed once the originals are removed.

Say what you want about chains, but poor maintenance practices to cut costs also cause failures in these systems. Even still, chains stretch and tensioners fail so they are not foolproof, especially when the WRONG spec oil is used when changing oil.

 

[Big_Hitter]

^ agreed - when you do a belt you need to do the whole shebang