Car for my Mother

JakeRadden · June 28th, 2009, 6:56 PM

With the death of my Avalon to bent valves, my mom is considering replacing her 97 Mercedes-Benz E320.

New car. No used (Or I'd tell her to buy a used S-class)

Here is what she is looking for:

Looks good
Reliable (She reads consumer reports to see reliability)
Around 30,000 USD
Good space
Good handling (She is a spirited driver)
Sunroof
MUST be good in snow (I always tell her just to buy winter-oriented tires but she never listens)
Leather Seats
Heated seats
Lumbar support
Prefer V6.

Currently considering:
2010 Ford Fusion
2010 Subaru Outback
2009 Mazda6

My vote is for a heavily-optioned Fusion with AWD and the V6, although it is over-budget at almost 32k.

Edit: She just told me she wants a small SUV, although I think that's shenanegans as we just bought a 2010 Subaru Forester.

LeVeL · June 28th, 2009, 7:55 PM

Acura TL

and fuck SUVs!

Elvis313 · June 28th, 2009, 7:58 PM

To be honest (and a little sexist images/smilies/wink.gif

) SUVs might make sense for some women (and men images/smilies/tongue.gif

). They do nothing better than normal cars but to give you a protected/secure feeling and for someone who doesn't drive very much this might do the trick for keeping the ride enjoyable.

Edit: and out of those three, I'd personally prefer the outback

Spectre · June 28th, 2009, 8:02 PM

Here's some suggestions, then.

Infiniti G35/37.
Nissan Murano or Altima (an AWD Murano S is only ~$27K.)
Hyundai (yes, Hyundai) Genesis sedan (though that's a little over the price limit) and Veracruz SUV (which is well under that price, has a 10 year warranty and is actually better than the Lexus RX) or if she wants a little smaller, the Santa Fe (which Consumer Reports spooges over - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Santa_Fe)

2Billion · June 28th, 2009, 8:07 PM

I'd probably go with an Outback myself.

Donington · June 28th, 2009, 8:22 PM

Outback or XC70

Spectre · June 28th, 2009, 8:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donington

Outback or XC70

The XC70 starts at $37K over here. Way out of the pricerange.

Bhatman · June 28th, 2009, 8:39 PM

+1 on the Outback, the 2010's are a bit oddish looking..but the 09's and below look amazing and you got a good selection of engines on the 09's as the 10's are losing the turbo 2.5's although they are gaining a 3.3L H6...

The Outback will give the best utilization of space and comfort. You can do much with the wagon and still have the space of the SUV without the bad looks of being in one.

Vette Boss · June 28th, 2009, 9:01 PM

Anything that isn't an Accord or Camry, since she has a pulse. A Fusion V6 with plenty of toys should be in her price range. New Fusion is based on the Mazda 6, so it drives well and, it will be less anonymous than the Mazda.

nouseferaname90 · June 28th, 2009, 9:01 PM

Acura TSX. Or snag a 2009 Legacy GT (Outback or not), or even get the spec B. Those seats are effing amazing, and I liked the H6 power delivery, and you should be able to get a deal on one. It was as quiet as the 2009 TSX.

The TSX has a fantabulous interior with lots of kit. At this point, if you find the right dealer, you can snag a loaded one for around $29K. It has good insulation, and the power delivery is much improved over the 2008.

Bubs360 · June 28th, 2009, 9:20 PM

I would recommend any Subaru Impreza or Outback. Subaru cars have proven very reliable overall, and the AWD is a major plus in the snow. Not to mention that the Impreza handles snow and icy roads better than most Sport Utes, is cheaper and gets better fuel economy. Not to mention, it isn't an SUV. images/smilies/thumbsup.gif

katwalk · June 29th, 2009, 2:10 AM

Mothers like beetles :p

freeferrarisdonotexist · June 29th, 2009, 2:30 AM

Mazda 6. In orange and pink to stand out. images/smilies/mrgreen.gif

GM_IV · June 29th, 2009, 2:31 AM

The 2010 Ford Fusions are the best large cars we have in our fleet. Ours cost about $30,000 CAD they everything but the V6 engine, the 2.5L 4-cylinder however is surprisingly powerful. Handling on the newer Fusion isn't as good as the older Fusion or old Mazda 6(haven't driven the 2009 yet) due to its suspension it runs over bumps very well but is not nearly as agile as before, yet its still better than most cars however. The Altima is also a good choice, it handles better than the Fusion IMO but annoyingly it does roll. The 4-cylinder for the Altima is actually quite good with the CVT...it accelerates faster than my dad's 2004 Avalon which has a V6.

_HighVoltage_ · June 29th, 2009, 2:38 AM

Mmm...I have to agree, the new Ford Fusions do seem like a good choice.

Have you considered joining the cult of Volvo? Brand new S40's are exatly about $30k.
Or if your mom is feeling bold, she might like the C30 which is even cheaper.

But fanboy-ism aside, I give my vote for a new Fusion.

Der Stig · June 29th, 2009, 2:47 AM

^X2 for the S40/Subies.

Are you sure you can't convince her to get a CPO'd car? They have the assurance of buying new while someone else took the hit on depreciation, especially with Mercs.

I'd say A4/A6 quattro, but I'd probably avoid anything "4Matic." If she doesn't go for any of those, then Subie. My dad has a nice Legacy that is fun and comfy, if a little softly sprung. Outbacks are always great, but don't forget that Foresters are nice too and fully loaded ones come to around $31k.

tranceporter · June 29th, 2009, 2:50 AM

'09 vw jetta tdi

and she'd get carefree maintenance too

140hp, 236 lbs-ft

all she would need is an ecu reflash and i guarantee it would haul ass, if she really wanted to drive spiritedly

bartboy9891 · June 29th, 2009, 3:48 AM

Mazda6, Fusion, Accord, Camry, Altima, Sonata, TSX, Malibu are all decent cars. The new Passat CC looks interesting for the price and it seems like something women would like to drive. Just have her drive everything in that price range to see what she likes. I know my mom doesn't like any cars that I like and it's impossible to see what her reasoning is.

JakeRadden · June 29th, 2009, 9:15 PM

We went test driving today.
Bad news.
She has her mind set on a Toyota Rav4 limited.

devil500 · June 29th, 2009, 9:18 PM

Fusion/Mazda 6 images/smilies/smile.gif

June 28th, 2009, 6:56 PM	#1
JakeRadden Joined: Feb 12th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Chicago, Illinois Age: 18 Posts: 1,096 Car: Chicago Transit Authority Rep Power: 36	Car for my Mother With the death of my Avalon to bent valves, my mom is considering replacing her 97 Mercedes-Benz E320. New car. No used (Or I'd tell her to buy a used S-class) Here is what she is looking for: Looks good Reliable (She reads consumer reports to see reliability) Around 30,000 USD Good space Good handling (She is a spirited driver) Sunroof MUST be good in snow (I always tell her just to buy winter-oriented tires but she never listens) Leather Seats Heated seats Lumbar support Prefer V6. Currently considering: 2010 Ford Fusion 2010 Subaru Outback 2009 Mazda6 My vote is for a heavily-optioned Fusion with AWD and the V6, although it is over-budget at almost 32k. Edit: She just told me she wants a small SUV, although I think that's shenanegans as we just bought a 2010 Subaru Forester. __________________ \|Gigabye GA-EX38-DS4 \| Intel E8400 Wolfdale @ 3.6 (400x9) w/ Tuniq Tower \| Sapphire HD4890 1GB GDDR5 Crossfire \| 4GB (2x2) Patriot Viper DDR2-800 @ DDR2-960 5-5-5-12 \| Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 (5x 120mm)\| \|Sager NP8662 Customised by XoticPC \| Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53 Ghz \| 500GB 7200RPM \| Nvidia GTX260M \| 4GB DDR3 1033mHz \| 15.4" 1680x1050 \| “The BMW 760Li. In other words, the BMW "Move over, poor person" -James May Last edited by JakeRadden; June 28th, 2009 at 7:00 PM.

June 28th, 2009, 7:55 PM	#2
LeVeL Joined: Jun 16th, 2007 Last Online: March 18th, 2010 Location: MA Age: 21 Posts: 3,874 Car: CG5/F23A1 Rep Power: 172	Acura TL and fuck SUVs! __________________ ^Don't worry he's a closet ~~homosexual~~ Miata driver. - Twerp128 Yeah, you're right. You win. You're the man - MacGuffin flickr . . . photography + UMass Motorsport

June 28th, 2009, 8:02 PM	#4
Spectre Joined: Feb 1st, 2007 Last Online: 2:58 PM Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 33 Posts: 10,398 Car: 87 XJ6, 95 XJR, 90 WD21, 86 CB700SC, 98 PC800 Rep Power: 344	Here's some suggestions, then. Infiniti G35/37. Nissan Murano or Altima (an AWD Murano S is only ~$27K.) Hyundai (yes, Hyundai) Genesis sedan (though that's a little over the price limit) and Veracruz SUV (which is well under that price, has a 10 year warranty and is actually better than the Lexus RX) or if she wants a little smaller, the Santa Fe (which Consumer Reports spooges over - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Santa_Fe) __________________ Enough is enough. We are not here to subsidize your clueless business plans or reward your failures. 1986 Honda Nighthawk 700S (project, light restoration in progress) 1987 Jaguar XJ6 Series III Vanden Plas (modified) 1990 Nissan (WD21) Pathfinder SE 4x4 (little red offroad commuter box) 1995 Jaguar (X300) XJR 1998 Honda Pacific Coast PC800 (two-wheeled pickup truck/utility bike) Last edited by Spectre; June 28th, 2009 at 8:06 PM.

June 28th, 2009, 8:22 PM	#6
Donington Joined: Jan 26th, 2007 Last Online: 4:28 PM Location: Royston Vasey, Englandshire Posts: 4,573 Rep Power: 227	Outback or XC70 __________________ "I love the smell of CGI in the morning"

June 28th, 2009, 9:01 PM	#9
Vette Boss Joined: Nov 14th, 2004 Last Online: 6:14 AM Location: United States, Britain, in time Age: 24 Posts: 3,807 Car: 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T Rep Power: 82	Anything that isn't an Accord or Camry, since she has a pulse. A Fusion V6 with plenty of toys should be in her price range. New Fusion is based on the Mazda 6, so it drives well and, it will be less anonymous than the Mazda. __________________ 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T. Das Auto

June 28th, 2009, 8:07 PM	#5
2Billion Joined: Dec 7th, 2005 Last Online: 4:06 PM Age: 24 Posts: 1,785 Car: '10 Toyota Matrix XR Rep Power: 193	I'd probably go with an Outback myself.

June 28th, 2009, 8:39 PM	#8
Bhatman Joined: Oct 8th, 2007 Last Online: 4:30 AM Location: SLO, CA (school) Bay(home) Posts: 63 Car: 98 Subaru Outback Rep Power: 15	+1 on the Outback, the 2010's are a bit oddish looking..but the 09's and below look amazing and you got a good selection of engines on the 09's as the 10's are losing the turbo 2.5's although they are gaining a 3.3L H6... The Outback will give the best utilization of space and comfort. You can do much with the wagon and still have the space of the SUV without the bad looks of being in one.

June 28th, 2009, 9:01 PM	#10
nouseferaname90 Joined: May 28th, 2008 Last Online: 9:42 AM Posts: 2,537 Rep Power: 52	Acura TSX. Or snag a 2009 Legacy GT (Outback or not), or even get the spec B. Those seats are effing amazing, and I liked the H6 power delivery, and you should be able to get a deal on one. It was as quiet as the 2009 TSX. The TSX has a fantabulous interior with lots of kit. At this point, if you find the right dealer, you can snag a loaded one for around $29K. It has good insulation, and the power delivery is much improved over the 2008. Last edited by nouseferaname90; June 28th, 2009 at 9:04 PM.

June 28th, 2009, 9:20 PM	#11
Bubs360 Joined: Feb 11th, 2007 Last Online: March 17th, 2010 Location: New Hampshire Age: 19 Posts: 526 Car: Vanagon, Versa, Kawasaki H1 500 Triple, '09 Zuma LFS Status: Rep Power: 44	I would recommend any Subaru Impreza or Outback. Subaru cars have proven very reliable overall, and the AWD is a major plus in the snow. Not to mention that the Impreza handles snow and icy roads better than most Sport Utes, is cheaper and gets better fuel economy. Not to mention, it isn't an SUV. __________________

June 29th, 2009, 2:10 AM	#12
katwalk Not A Dude Joined: Apr 1st, 2008 Last Online: January 12th, 2010 Posts: 4,575 Car: 2003 volkswagen beetle Cabriolet Rep Power: 238	Mothers like beetles :p

June 29th, 2009, 2:30 AM	#13
freeferrarisdonotexist I'm not stupid - I'm British! Joined: Nov 4th, 2008 Last Online: 1:16 AM Location: Somewhere in the South of England, UK. Age: 26 Posts: 1,057 Car: Yamaha YBR125 (lightly modified) Rep Power: 32	Mazda 6. In orange and pink to stand out. __________________ Proud to Defend: Miatas, Motorcycles, Rotaries and Manual Transmissions. My other car (in storage ) Black 1990 Miata 1st Gen. Restored and partially weight-stripped w/6-Speed transmission, CD stereo, short-throw shifter and billet knob, HID headlights, Hydra Nemesis ECU, tuned exhaust pipe, toolkit and vinyl top. The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad. I listen to: AC/DC, Amon Tobin, Audioslave, Beethoven, Bon Jovi, Breaking Benjamin, Cage The Elephant, Clint Mansell, Craig Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Depeche Mode, Elbow, Foo Fighters, Gnarls Barkley, Hans Zimmer, J. Ralph, Lily Allen, Ludovico Einaudi, Lupe Fiasco, Massive Attack, Nightwish, Nine Black Alps, Ok Go, OneRepublic, Pink Floyd, Rage Against The Machine, Snow Patrol, Black Heart Procession, The White Stripes, UNKLE, Within Temptation, Wolf's Rain OST

June 29th, 2009, 2:31 AM	#14
GM_IV Joined: Apr 5th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 599 Car: 1986 Toyota Cressida Rep Power: 22	The 2010 Ford Fusions are the best large cars we have in our fleet. Ours cost about $30,000 CAD they everything but the V6 engine, the 2.5L 4-cylinder however is surprisingly powerful. Handling on the newer Fusion isn't as good as the older Fusion or old Mazda 6(haven't driven the 2009 yet) due to its suspension it runs over bumps very well but is not nearly as agile as before, yet its still better than most cars however. The Altima is also a good choice, it handles better than the Fusion IMO but annoyingly it does roll. The 4-cylinder for the Altima is actually quite good with the CVT...it accelerates faster than my dad's 2004 Avalon which has a V6. __________________

June 29th, 2009, 2:38 AM	#15
_HighVoltage_ Joined: Aug 5th, 2006 Last Online: 4:06 PM Location: Bulgaria/Athens,WV Age: 22 Posts: 3,243 Car: 1994 Volvo 854 Rep Power: 74	Mmm...I have to agree, the new Ford Fusions do seem like a good choice. Have you considered joining the cult of Volvo? Brand new S40's are exatly about $30k. Or if your mom is feeling bold, she might like the C30 which is even cheaper. But fanboy-ism aside, I give my vote for a new Fusion. __________________ If your tires are not squealing on the corners...you're simply not going fast enough.

June 29th, 2009, 2:47 AM	#16
Der Stig Joined: Dec 19th, 2008 Last Online: 1:01 AM Location: College Station/The Woodlands, Texas Age: 20 Posts: 1,111 Car: 2004 BMW 330i Rep Power: 38	^X2 for the S40/Subies. Are you sure you can't convince her to get a CPO'd car? They have the assurance of buying new while someone else took the hit on depreciation, especially with Mercs. I'd say A4/A6 quattro, but I'd probably avoid anything "4Matic." If she doesn't go for any of those, then Subie. My dad has a nice Legacy that is fun and comfy, if a little softly sprung. Outbacks are always great, but don't forget that Foresters are nice too and fully loaded ones come to around $31k. __________________ Vehicles: 2004 E46 BMW 330i 6-speed Looking for W116, W123, W126, R107, Range Rover Classic, S1 Disco...~~cheapo~~ project

June 29th, 2009, 2:50 AM	#17
tranceporter Joined: Mar 19th, 2007 Last Online: March 16th, 2010 Location: NY \| NJ Age: 23 Posts: 322 Car: AP2 S2000 LFS Status: Rep Power: 36	'09 vw jetta tdi and she'd get carefree maintenance too 140hp, 236 lbs-ft all she would need is an ecu reflash and i guarantee it would haul ass, if she really wanted to drive spiritedly __________________ Facebook : Photo Blog : Music Blog : Street Stars Last edited by tranceporter; June 29th, 2009 at 2:52 AM.

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June 29th, 2009, 3:48 AM	#18
bartboy9891 I'm not Moe Joined: Dec 1st, 2004 Last Online: 5:58 AM Location: University of Michigan Age: 20 Posts: 8,948 Car: 1996 Grand Am SE sedan, and dad's 2006 S60 2.5T Rep Power: 83	Mazda6, Fusion, Accord, Camry, Altima, Sonata, TSX, Malibu are all decent cars. The new Passat CC looks interesting for the price and it seems like something women would like to drive. Just have her drive everything in that price range to see what she likes. I know my mom doesn't like any cars that I like and it's impossible to see what her reasoning is. __________________

June 29th, 2009, 9:15 PM	#19
JakeRadden Joined: Feb 12th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Chicago, Illinois Age: 18 Posts: 1,096 Car: Chicago Transit Authority Rep Power: 36	We went test driving today. Bad news. She has her mind set on a Toyota Rav4 limited. __________________ \|Gigabye GA-EX38-DS4 \| Intel E8400 Wolfdale @ 3.6 (400x9) w/ Tuniq Tower \| Sapphire HD4890 1GB GDDR5 Crossfire \| 4GB (2x2) Patriot Viper DDR2-800 @ DDR2-960 5-5-5-12 \| Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 (5x 120mm)\| \|Sager NP8662 Customised by XoticPC \| Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53 Ghz \| 500GB 7200RPM \| Nvidia GTX260M \| 4GB DDR3 1033mHz \| 15.4" 1680x1050 \| “The BMW 760Li. In other words, the BMW "Move over, poor person" -James May

June 29th, 2009, 9:18 PM	#20
devil500 Joined: Aug 8th, 2007 Last Online: 4:33 PM Location: NYC for now, Penn State in 2010 Age: 18 Posts: 1,502 Car: Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust Rep Power: 27	Fusion/Mazda 6 __________________ Michael Schumacher: "I feel like a little young boy that has his toy in his hands and just enjoys himself."

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