What car should I buy?

lumberjim · 12-10-2013, 07:30 PM

THIS IS IMPRESSIVE

check out the amount of articulation this thing gets. around 17 & again at 55 seconds... you see the wheels stretch down to stay in contact with the ground, and squish up to allow it to climb over things...

glatt · 12-11-2013, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjim

... you see the wheels stretch down to stay in contact with the ground...

I saw a tow truck the other day. I was really annoyed with it because I was waiting to jaywalk, and it was the only car on the road, but it was going really slow, so I had to wait a long time. It was towing a van, and wasn't a very big tow truck. When it got in front of me, I realized why it was going so slowly. the pavement had slight ripples to it, and every time it hit a ripple, the tow truck's front wheels bounced off the pavement and lingered in the air a few inches above the pavement for at least a few seconds. This was at about 10 mph. Almost no weight on those front wheels. I watched it for as long as I could, because I figured it was going to smash in to something, but it was going straight, and had no trouble doing that. I wish I could have seen it try to turn.

glatt · 12-11-2013, 08:02 AM

Lola,
more important to you than the ABS and AWD debates is the radio.

I'm not being patronizing. I'm dead serious. Many new cars have very difficult to operate radios, controlled by touch screens. You cant' just reach over with your eyes on the road and turn the knobs by feel or push the familiar buttons. You need to pull over to operate the damn things. It's a safety issue. When you get in any of these cars to try them out, see if you can operate the radio while driving. Also see if you can adjust the climate control. Turn on the defrost. These should be very simple things, and some cars get them wrong. It's a trendy thing now to put touch screens in cars and I'm dismayed by it. Touch screens have no business in cars. If you can't operate it by feel with a split second glance, it shouldn't be in a car.

You may find that an otherwise great car is dead to you because you can't operate the radio or turn on the defrost without pulling over.

Having said that, based mainly on the consumer report ratings and my own gut feelings and preferences, I would say that if money is of little concern, you should get the CR top rated Hybrid Camry XLE for $29K. If money is of great concern, you should get the Hyundai Sonata GLS for $22K. If you fall somewhere in the middle, you should look at the Honda Accord LX for $23K and the Camry LE for $23K. I'd also look at the Mazda 6 Sport for $24k and the Nissan Altima 2.5 S for $23K. All are excellent choices.

I'm not generally a fan of 6 cylinder engines. They have more power, which comes in handy about 1% of the time you are driving, but is never absolutely necessary. And they get poor to mediocre fuel economy 100% of the time you are driving. I'd focus on the 4 cylinder models. They all go fast enough to get you a speeding ticket and will keep up with traffic.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-11-2013, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

You cant' just reach over with your eyes on the road and turn the knobs by feel or push the familiar buttons. You need to pull over to operate the damn things. It's a safety issue.

Just turn on the cruise control, that way the car drives itself and you can devote your full attention to the radio... or making a sandwich.

12-10-2013, 07:30 PM	#1
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	THIS IS IMPRESSIVE check out the amount of articulation this thing gets. around 17 & again at 55 seconds... you see the wheels stretch down to stay in contact with the ground, and squish up to allow it to climb over things... __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

12-11-2013, 08:02 AM	#3
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Lola, more important to you than the ABS and AWD debates is the radio. I'm not being patronizing. I'm dead serious. Many new cars have very difficult to operate radios, controlled by touch screens. You cant' just reach over with your eyes on the road and turn the knobs by feel or push the familiar buttons. You need to pull over to operate the damn things. It's a safety issue. When you get in any of these cars to try them out, see if you can operate the radio while driving. Also see if you can adjust the climate control. Turn on the defrost. These should be very simple things, and some cars get them wrong. It's a trendy thing now to put touch screens in cars and I'm dismayed by it. Touch screens have no business in cars. If you can't operate it by feel with a split second glance, it shouldn't be in a car. You may find that an otherwise great car is dead to you because you can't operate the radio or turn on the defrost without pulling over. Having said that, based mainly on the consumer report ratings and my own gut feelings and preferences, I would say that if money is of little concern, you should get the CR top rated Hybrid Camry XLE for $29K. If money is of great concern, you should get the Hyundai Sonata GLS for $22K. If you fall somewhere in the middle, you should look at the Honda Accord LX for $23K and the Camry LE for $23K. I'd also look at the Mazda 6 Sport for $24k and the Nissan Altima 2.5 S for $23K. All are excellent choices. I'm not generally a fan of 6 cylinder engines. They have more power, which comes in handy about 1% of the time you are driving, but is never absolutely necessary. And they get poor to mediocre fuel economy 100% of the time you are driving. I'd focus on the 4 cylinder models. They all go fast enough to get you a speeding ticket and will keep up with traffic.

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