New Used Car

[emt_cookies]

I am planning on getting a new used car in June. I want to do some research. I am thinking about either a Pontiac Aztec, Jeep Wrangler, or a Ford Escape. I want something that is a little bit heavier and I am thinking about a Ford Escape or a Jeep Wrangler because some of them have 4 wheel drive.

[dragon_wings]

My mom got a used hybrid Ford Escape a couple years ago and loves it. Other then that I have no advice. Good luck.

[TheSHAD0W]

The Aztek is one of the ugliest cars on the road - and one of the best engineered and most reliable. You're likely to get a good deal on one.

I wouldn't recommend a used hybrid vehicle, as replacement batteries can get very expensive.

[emt_cookies]

I really don't care that much about looks.

I need something safer than my current car for next winter. I am already concerned this winter since I can't miss clinicals, I will probably attempt to drive to the station for fire/EMS calls, and I'll either be working at a hospital or a private EMS company.

[It's me]

What other criteria are important to you? Eg.: Gas mileage, cargo or passenger capability, ease of getting in/out, easy to park/backup etc.

[Imprl59]

The Aztek is hard to find because they didn't sell well when new. If you don't mind the styling they are actually pretty good cars and I see them go for decent prices. The tent your could get for the back is one of the cooler things to ever be available for a car IMHO

My Dad and I have had Jeeps off and on for years. They are very fun vehicles but there seems to always be something broken... Some people say the two happiest days of ownership are the day you buy a Jeep and the day you sell it. I think they are fairly reliable vehicles overall, you just do things with them you wouldn't think of doing with a regular vehicle and sometimes that causes issues. In the case of a used one be extra careful 'cause God only knows what the previous owner was up to with it. I haven't had one since I moved to Florida but I still want another one.

I don't have any experience with the Ford

[Mytical]

Some advice I've heard, but keep in mind I am not the most well versed in autos.

Go for all wheel drive over four wheel drive. If one slips..with all wheel drive the others will keep you on the road. There may be even better options now, again..not much of a vehicle person.

Jeeps are always pretty good, and there is the chevy tracker, but that one can be top heavy .. and prone to roll a bit more then others I've heard. Ours has done very good, and we were able to get around with over 2" of solid ice covering the road.

[Jester]

As has been noted, to offer advice to you, we will need to know what criteria are important to you. Do you live in an area where an all-terrain vehicle would be better? What kind of weather do you deal with? Are you going to be doing things that will physically abuse your vehicle? Etcetera, etcetera. Basically, what do you want out of your soon-to-be-new-to-you vehicle?

After all, what is important to ME in a vehicle may or may not be important to YOU.

Also, I would recommend doing some online research for your new vehicle, including checking out what Consumer Reports thinks about various models you have considered or are considering.

[emt_cookies]

Well, I am not so concerned about gas mileage. I am just looking for something a little bit heavier, sturdier, and safer than driving an older Toyota Celica during very snow winter.

I am in nursing school where clinicals are not canceled unless the clinical instructor chooses to (even if it is snowing weather where no one is supposed to be out on the road), volunteer firefighter, and my job is an EMT (which is private but they still want us to respond irregardless of the weather. BS if you ask me since we're not true "EMS"). I'm going to brave the winter this semester till I am done with medic school since I get about 40 mpg with my Celica and I'll probably get half of that with an SUV if am lucky.

I've seen about 8 Aztec Pontiacs within my mileage range (under 100,000) for under 6,000. I am actually figuring about 5-15,000 for car total.

Cargo and passengers is not that big of an issue. At the most, I'll probably have one other person with me. I don't have kids and I am currently not dating. I usually do not drive with my friends and instead I meet my friends. One thing I am nervous about is having stuff in the back of my car. Will it be more likely to get broken into because of the back?

One thing I'd love to be able to do is to be able to lie the seats down in the back and pop the hatch for watching movies at the outdoor theater. It was quite fun.

I don't foresee me having to drag any equipment around since I'll get my fire II card this semester (it's a pain in the ass trying to fit my gear in my trunk or back seat). I wouldn't mind being able to fit my bike in the back of the car though. I don't play hockey anymore.

I liked my friend's Jeep, but he was already having issues with the AC working properly.

Is there an ideal time to buy? I am willing to hold off till January 2013. In recent years, the snowy time of the year has been January to March instead of November to January.

I have been reading some of the reports online. I've also been focusing on the years of the ones I've seen online since I know quality can vary from some years.

[Jester]

Based on what you say your needs and wants are, I would recommend some kind of SUV, either a car-type SUV, such as a Subaru Forrester (which my parents really tried to push on me the last time I bought a vehicle, but which didn't suit MY needs), or a midsize SUV, such as my Chevy Blazer or the Jeep Liberty, or maybe a fullsize SUV, such as an Expedition. From what you said you need and can afford, I don't think you'd need or want the fullsize SUV, but a midsize or cartype SUV would probably fit your needs perfectly. Very versatile for cargo and passengers, seats fold down, rear hatch opens, can sleep in the back, etc.

If you are worried about stuff you have in the vehicle being visible and the potential target for theft, I would recommend checking your local laws and getting the darkest tint on your windows allowed in your area. When my Blazer is locked up, it is virtually impossible to see inside it, unless you look through the windshield, or it is very sunny. Even when it IS very sunny, if I have the windshield blocker in place, it becomes impossible to see what, if anything, I have in my truck.

[emt_cookies]

Are Subaru's good? I haven't seen that many of them in my particular area. Are Chevy Blazers usually taken off-road like the Jeeps are?

I really don't want a full size SUV. It probably would get comparable gas mileage to a truck and a lot of the other firefighter trucks get like 10 mpg.

Does it cost a lot to get tinting done? Does it affect visibility?

[kpzra]

Subaru's are the most common car in Alaska, if that tells you anything. The newer Blazers aren't as good as the older ones, IMO if you want to go off-roading. My former job (airport FBO) the crew cars were Ford Escapes, they were OK. I'm used to a full size truck ad and 85 Blazer (lifted w/ hummv tires) that are both heavy diesels for comparison, and I only drove the Escape a few miles at a time to gas it up but it seemed to handle fine on the snow/ice of Anchorage. Cargo space was OK, you could fit turnouts back there no problem...hubby always had his in the back seat of the truck so I have an idea of how big they are...lol

I's look at a Cherokee or something similar. The newer SUV's have a blind type thing that pulls from one side of the cargo area to the other to cover up what is back there. One thing to keep in mind about an Aztec is the availability of parts since they are kinda rare and the company who made them is no longer around. Jeeps, Chevys, Fords, Subys are all still going strong though.

[Seshat]

Subaru's are the most common car in Alaska, if that tells you anything.

That's interesting, because they can also handle Australia.


My suggestion: talk to other people in your area (ie, handling YOUR conditions), who have to be out regardless of weather. Find out what the snow plough driver drives to work. Firefighters. The other EMS and EMTs. Other doctors and nurses.

[Jester]

Are Subaru's good? I haven't seen that many of them in my particular area. Are Chevy Blazers usually taken off-road like the Jeeps are?

I really don't want a full size SUV. It probably would get comparable gas mileage to a truck and a lot of the other firefighter trucks get like 10 mpg.

Does it cost a lot to get tinting done? Does it affect visibility?

According to Consumer Reports, Subarus are very good. And my parents, while they don't own one, do research on this kind of stuff, and seem totally sold on the Forrester. That is all I know about it, but my mom doesn't easily or quickly back a particular car model, so I would say it is probably pretty good. It just didn't fit what *I* needed in a vehicle.

Chevy Blazers are not notoriously reliable or dependable. In my experience, there are two types of Blazers...those that suck, and those that don't. I have been lucky in that both of the Blazers I owned did not suck, but that is not always going to be the case. As much as I have loved my Blazer, I would not necessarily advise buying one. Ditto Ford Broncos and Explorers. (My old mechanic in Phoenix, a good friend of mine, referred to Ford Explorers as "Ford Exploders." Apparently he's not the only mechanic to use that reference.)

Do you need a vehicle that goes off-road? My Blazer doesn't really go off-road, but it is more capable of doing so than a typical sedan, less so than a Jeep, to give you an idea. I have decent ground clearance, about 18", and somewhat larger wheels than a car, so can go over dirt and small rocks and even over curbs and stuff, but would never even consider doing anything resembling serious off-roading in it. And I would say that most midsize SUV's that are comparable to the Blazer fit into about the same category. Versatile, but not serious off-road vehicles.

And yes, full-size SUV's are completely gas guzzlers. Which is why I suggested small or midsize SUV's, which balance versatility with efficiency. My Blazer, for example, would never be confused with a Honda Accord in the gas efficiency department, but for a vehicle of its size, it is somewhat efficient, and also amazingly nimble and maneuverable. Also, fullsize SUV's are expensive to buy, and seem like more than what you need.

You would have to check local prices for tinting, as they vary. Keep in mind, both of my Blazers (purchased in Arizona and Florida, respectively) came with windows already tinted. It does affect visibility slightly (especially backing up at night, I've noticed), but just like most things with a vehicle, you can adjust to that. One thing I would definitely advise is that, if the vehicle you settle on is untinted and you desire to tint it, have a professional do the tinting, rather than having you or a friend do it themselves. You know those vehicles with tinted windows that the tint starts bubbling and coming off? 99% of the time, that tint job was not done by a professional shop. 'Nuff said. And on that note, I should point out that my current Blazer, which was already tinted when I bought it, is a 2000 model that I bought in late 2005...and the tint is still pristine.

[lachesis]

Chiming in because I saw the Subaru Forester being mentioned. I have been looking on replacing my eight year old Toyota Corolla for the past year. I wanted something with more clearance to handle the snow in my area (Southeast New England) and All Wheel Drive was an important feature I wanted as well. My brother has had several Subaru cars over the years and finally I went with him to his favorite dealership to test drive a Forester.

I LOVED it. It's not muuuch bigger in size than my Corolla. It does have a slight bit of length to it that I will have to be conscious about until I get used to it. I was nervous because I'm rather short with a small frame and thought it would overpower me. It is considered an SUV, but it's built kind of like a tall station wagon.

Just throwing out another possibility. Good luck in your search!