I have 20 grand cash to buy a vehicle guide me ats

a reply to: UnifiedSerenity

Thank you. Much appreciated

Im test driving cars next week and will post the winner!

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Kia Soul base automatic. You'll spend less than 20K and it sits higher up than a sedan or coupe and close to a crossover SUV. Its admittedly not great in snow being light engine wise and only 2500 pounds or so, but you shouldn't get much snow in NC depending on the area. Those cars are great reliability wise and hold up material wise and well built. Or maybe get a Subaru Impreza base if you want AWD. Or a used one but used car prices seem a little steeper than they should be.

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
Im test driving cars next week and will post the winner!

Our spy cameras caught you...

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

That thing is sweet. I don’t do big bird yellow tho

Ouch! That color

Any of the Mazda SUVs would be great, recent models particularly. Lots of bang for the buck.

I've had both Audi and VW and if you were looking at German, I would take a look at the VW Atlas from a couple years ago, should be hovering around the 20k range. They are just as nice as the Audi, but more affordable in parts, and they ride supremely smoothly and we drive miles of dirt roads to and from home everyday. (I also have a GMC truck)

a reply to: Skooter_NB

Decision time is this week. When I buy the vehicle I will definitely post what I got

a reply to: Skooter_NB

Decision time is this week. When I buy the vehicle I will definitely post what I got

Took my mom out to test drive cars. That is a three hour window before she needs to get back home.

Drove both the honda crv and the mazda cx5

She absolutely hated the honda. I quite liked the honda. I liked the touch screen better. She acted like a child. It was funny. Pouted and said if I purchased the honda she wouldn’t ride in it! Hahahaha

So the Mazda Cx5 it is. Now Im looking for the right one. I have a little more than the 20 now. After I purchase it I will create a new thread. Post the vehicle and thank you all for your input.

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
Took my mom out to test drive cars. That is a three hour window before she needs to get back home.

Drove both the honda crv and the mazda cx5

She absolutely hated the honda. I quite liked the honda. I liked the touch screen better. She acted like a child. It was funny. Pouted and said if I purchased the honda she wouldn’t ride in it! Hahahaha

So the Mazda Cx5 it is. Now Im looking for the right one. I have a little more than the 20 now. After I purchase it I will create a new thread. Post the vehicle and thank you all for your input.

Good choice on the Mazda, you'll be very happy!

Buying the Mazda tomorrow!!!

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
Buying the Mazda tomorrow!!!

I ended up buying a 2018 CX 5 two days ago over the CRV/Murano/Rogue, and I LOVE it.

Sophisticated, luxurious, and sporty af.

Let the Wizard be your guide....
www.youtube.com...
youtube.com/results?search_query=car+wizard+buy+this


With his vast experience, he likes Toyota. Nissan, Hundai and other lower tier Asian brands have poor durability, and modular engine construction, which means expensive repairs.

I like to start with bulletproof engines and trans, then go from there. Generally been buying Mercedes, although I have a long history with VAG vehicles. By comparison, MB are a breeze to work on. The best way to proceed with these marques is with specific models and engine combos that are known to be good.

A product line like Mercedes will have some variants with cursed engines or air suspension or radar cruise control... those systems break down and are expensive. Without good repair facilities, a local garage will just grunt and blame the car, but in reality they just don't have the right skills and knowledge. Those same cars can be really awesome and easy to own if you don't deal with grease monkeys or dealership prices.

Really any MB with the 3.5 after 2008 5.0 or 2.0T is a very good start, with no S Class or A or B Class either. Basically, any C class or E class or M Class SUV without air suspension, after 2008. I have a 2006 CLK 500 Cabrio, bulletproof. Also a 2010 ML 350, it's freaking awesome. I have a 2019 Metris van with 2.0T, it's never been back to dealer for service. Recently got a 1965 220Sb 6cyl 4sp "Fintail"...and I hate old cars, but love old Mercedes. On Monday, a 2004 C 240 2.6 AWD I bought for my cousin gets delivered to her, as a gift. I paid $2400 from orig owner w/97k near flawless in Bingo Beige, she will love it. No probs and little things are easy to fix, like serp belts, etc. Don't need to pull the engine to do plugs or alternator, lol.

Benz have been the best selection of any car in any class since the beginning of automotive history. When I look at vintage and used cars, I always see how MB reigns supreme. It's a fact, if you like durable cars. People ask me, why is MB so cheap used, if they are so awesome??? I say it's supply and demand. Some people buy new ones every couple of years, but the market for used is clouded by a 1000 different choices on the market, and it also comes down to skill level and tolerance for maintenance and repairs. I am not at all worried about repair costs for my cousin, because she can rely on me for diagnoses and little fixes.

VW also has an interesting formula for "getting your moneys worth" if you are buying new. Tiguan Golf or Jetta are great NEW cars. My mom's 5cyl 2011 Jetta Wagon is still running around, never missing a beat...now my MiL's cars, and she is tough on cars. Wife has a 2019 Golf SW with 6sp and boxed 1.8T around 230hp AWD. It came new with a 6yr warranty for $21,500....never been back for service or warranty, and is an amazing car....it handles like a TT. I love Audis, but only the Q3 makes sense....new. A Q5 used can be ok, after 2014 the 2.0T is fully sorted out. 3.0T and 3.2 DI are very reliable.

Imma read the whole thread and if appropriate recommend a specific car.

We also have an FJ Cruiser, yes... TOYOTA is durable too.

My other favourite channel, aside from Hoovie's Garage and Car Wizard....
www.youtube.com...

This is old, but newer data is pretty similar.





SKIP anything Chrysler/Jeep/Fiat or BMW too.

low the person who says, their car "never needed nothing" when in reality it's a creaking mess of shot suspension, flaky brakes and belching engine. A lot of them simply have no idea what a good or nice car is. Not to mention the horrible safety standards that come along with lower tier older cars.
It's too much to cover here, but I suggest searching out some car crash tests for yourself...


Did I mention how I hate vintage cars....?


I always ask these smart guys what their last car before was. If you're coming from a total pos 1990s American car, that 2000s Hundai or Nissan seems pretty sweet. I'm not being a snob, it's a dollar per mile formula. Hell the orig owner of my cuz' C class only spent $2000 a year to drive 17 years from NEW!

Here we go, sorry about that. Honda/Acura in the toilet.


The glitches on VW Audi don't faze me, it's usually very simple fixes. We had new 1996, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2019 VWs and no warranty work except strut mounts on the 2010 Tiguan amd a new speedo on both of my mom's 1996 and 2011....lol she kept the $14k 1996 for 17 years, German made....it was like riding in a cinder block, perfect interior still....under $1000 a year. She just wanted a new car....got a wagon and 5cyl with 6sp auto, a true upgrade from her Passat.

See when VW started selling the newer Passat, the Audi A4 clone, the old VW drivers were not used to high maintenance cars with synth oil and timing belts, interference engines, difficult repairs on starters and alternators, etc....so they got bad customer satisfaction on good cars. My other cuz went from Fox to Rabbit to Jetta to Passat, which the complex suspension was a disaster for her on miles of dirt roads in Maine....way different than the old VW beaters.