QuestionJeff
Could you suggest a vehicles?
_mid-full size four door sedan
-comfortable but not 'luxury'
-parts/repairs not too expensive
year 2000 and up but not over $15000
Thanks!
AnswerOh, so much to chose from, given those parameters....there's always the Accord and Camry very good cars, but their fine reputations may mean you'd be paying more than you should. As long as we're talking Pacific-rim makes, the Mazda6 is worth looking at, and maybe the Subaru Legacy/Outback. Avoid Mitsubishi: just because it's built in Japan, don't assume it's well-made or reliable. Hyundai Sonata is a great value, too. As for domestic product, tops on my list is the Ford Taurus/ Mercury Sable twins, along with the Chevy Impala. Ford flooded the lease/fleet/rental market with the Taurus, so resale value is almost a joke, but a great buy when looking at used. Locally, I've seen 2006 Taurus SEL models (top-of-the-line) with 12-18000 miles advertised for $12-$14000. That's a lot of car for the money! Generally reliable, but expect one or two minor glitches. The Impala is a bigger, better-driving car, and might command a few more bucks, but the nicer ride/ quiet/ feel may be worth it. You won't know till you drive them both. Both Taurus and Impala are better-performing cars when equipped with the larger available V6s, and mileage is virtually the same as the standard engines. Pontiac Grand Prix/ Buick Regal are OK, but not worth the extra $ you'd pay over the Taurus/Impala, IMHO. Never been impressed with what's been coming out of Chrysler and Dodge for the past ten years, especially when it comes to reliability. Any of these cars I've mentioned certainly fit the bill for the requirements you've listed. If reliability is important, along with cheap repairs when something does go wrong, then avoid anything made in Europe like the plague! Wonderful cars to drive, but there's a reason they have the defrib paddles handy in their service departments. They get put to a lot of use when they hand out the repair bills....!
