As Kate and I set out to run errands the other day, the “Service Engine Soon” idiot light came on in my car (a 1999 Ford Taurus LX). This may or may not mean anything– Kate got one of those in her Prius a while back and it was nothing– but if it’s actually an indicator of anything serious, I’ll be in the market for a new car. I was already planning to unload this car in December, because the warranty on the rebuilt transmission runs out not long after that, but if I’m facing more than $1,500 in repairs, we’ll bump that up.
So, my question for the bloggeratti is this: What kind of car should I buy? Bear in mind, any such purchase is subject to some contradictory constraints, which I describe below the fold:
1) Being both a squishy liberal type, and somewhat cheap, I would like a car that gets good gas mileage. It has to be better than the current car, which averages around 20 mpg in typical conditions (driving to and from work, plus weekend errands), and 25-30 on longer highway trips. No 9mpg SUV’s for me.
2) I would like to have at least as much hauling capacity as the Taurus, probably more. I’ve often felt thwarted by the limited amount I can fit in the car, when it comes to home improvement projects and the like, so I’d like to be able to move more stuff. And while we don’t presently have kids, I’d sort of like to acquire some, which will require more space. So, no Mini Coopers for me.
3) Following on that one, I need to be able to fit in it comfortably for multi-hour trips, as we make a fair number of three-hour trips to Boston to see Kate’s family, or Scenic Whitney Point, NY to see mine. This is the tightest constraint by far– I’m 6’6″, and around 230lbs these days– as it rules out more cars than you might think, thanks to stupid cabin design.
As an example, when we went shopping for Kate’s cute little car, we tested both the Prius and a Honda Civic. I can drive the Prius for short periods (I can’t even ride in it as a passenger for three hours, though), but the Civic was right out. Not because it’s smaller than the Prius, but because there’s a six-inch plastic lip around the foot well, that forces me to rotate my right leg into a position where my knee is pinned against the steering wheel. There’s no way I could safely drive that car at all.
4) Also, keep in mind that I’m a college professor. No $150,000 luxury cars, please. That’s not how we roll.
In an ideal world, I’d be able to go out and get a small SUV that gets 40 mpg, and everybody would be happy. This is not that world, I know, so I’m open to suggestions.
Take it from a fellow Taurus-rocker the “Service Engine Soon” light is usually triggered by the odometer. It’s just to force you to bring it in for a ‘checkup’, and typically you pay $300 for them to basically turn off the light.
Ignoring that, If I could drop my ’03 Taurus and buy anything else (within reason), I would go for a Subaru Wagon. I used to drive a Jeep Cherokee and I miss the big openness of it. The Subaru would have better gas milage, though.
Um, I’ve never heard of an SES being triggered by an Odometer, so I’m going to assume Stephen is joking. Although it could be any number of things, the most common issues to trigger the SES light are, in approximate order: leaving the gas cap off or insecurely fastened, One (or more) sparkplugs going bad, or some issue with your catalytic converter and/or the sensors attached thereto. If you take your car in to an Autozone (or similar), they should be able to hook up and OBDIII scanner to your computer and pull the code to tell you exactly what’s causing the light (and shut it off, if it’s no biggie) for free.
On the car front, you’re looking at vehicles way out of my preferred areas of interest, but the ones that occur off the top of my head are the Hybrid Saturn Ion Greenline, the Hybrid MazFord Escape/Tribute, and/or any of the Subaru wagon/crossover models.
You’ll have to try them out as far as your size is concerned, but Toyota is now selling a hybrid version of the Highlander SUV. My brother has one and raves about its comfort and performance.
Failing that, the Subaru Forester is highly rated for performance and safety.
Taking another route, one that would surely handle your size is the Dodge Sprinter van which gets 25 mpg with a 5 cylinder Mercedes diesel engine and comes in a high roof version that would almost let you stand up inside — 73 inch ceiling height IIRC. (The commercial version is seen in the new high roof FedEx vans.) Another advantage of this one is that many features that are options on other vehicles are standard equipment.
While I approve of the Subaru wagon things in principle, I’m not sure I’ll fit in any of them– last time my parents were looking for a new car, they tried them, and my father wasn’t comfortable driving them, and he’s a good three or four inches shorter than I am.
I’ve heard very little about the hybrid SUV’s– are they any good?
We’re currently looking to add a second car as our family grows and as my wife will have to begin commuting to work soon. Like you, we are also liberal minded in gas mileage and focused on the safety as well. We want a vehicle that can fit two kids and have ample storage room (e.g. like for groceries + strollers). We were originally considereing the Volvo V70 or V50, which has great gas mileage (upper 20’s) and an excellent safety record. But being a station wagon style, it might not fit you well. Consider the Ford Escape SUV Hybrid or the Mercury Mariner SUV Hybrid, which we’re also looking at right now. Both will get you in the low 30’s for mpg and being an SUV body it may be good “fit” for you. The two hybrids have comparable specs (see http://www.hybridcars.com/) and are around $30K. If you have access to someone who works for a Ford partner company you can get on their X-plan and knock off $1-2K from that price, plus whatever tax incentives NY gives you.
Most cars that I’ve driven routinely have the “check engine” light on. I’ve learned to ignore it.
Doesn’t Ford have a Hybrid SUV nowadays? Yes — the “Escape”
Hybrid. Advertises over 30mpg, which is pretty good for an SUV. (It’s not a Prius!) Probably too damn expensive, though.
I just purchased a Prius… or, rather, put down a deposit on one. It should come in Any Day Now. It is right at the limit of what we can afford… and I hope it’s on the right side of the limit. The Prius is bigger than the last car I was driving (a 1993 Mustang LX), and indeed seems kinda big to me– but I’m not as tall as you are, so I have different standards. But hauling capacity is also important to me, which is why I rejected the Honda Civic hybrid pretty quickly. (I do have to say, though, that the Honda Insight was appealing… no hauling capcity at all, but it’s so tiny and gets such good gas mileage that it might be a good “first” car if the second car has some hauling capacity.)
-Rob
Before heading to Autozone or your local mechanic (and certainly before ignoring a warning light entirely)… try disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cable. Worked for me…
If it was the gas cap (and it has been subsequently re-secured) or an intermittently non-firing spark plug, then Melissa’s suggestion will probably work. Remember to leave the battery disconnected for several minutes. Remember, also, that this will reset your driving computer, and your car may seem sluggish or “odd” for a bit after reconnecting the battery as the computer re-accustoms itself to your driving style.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Corolla. Reliable, reasonably good mileage, and a useful size for me. The Matrix (also sold as the Pontiac Vibe) is essentially the wagon model, which is what I would suggest you look into if you rank mileage and cost higher than stuff-space.
Good luck on not needing one right now, though.
I was just in this situation myself (although a little more constrained in the $$$ dept). I made the rounds to all the car places, and test drove a LOT of cars. Given the requirements you have listed, I think the perfect car for you would be the new Toyota RAV-4—its roomy, big enough for the fam, gets car-like gas milage, and well, is a Toyota. I ended up getting a Jeep Liberty, but wouldn’t recommend that to you because of the gas milage and the size (its a bit smaller in the driver’s seat than the RAV-4). If you want more luxury, go with the Highlander. Whatever you do, NO MORE TAURUSES (tauri??).
We just went through process of researching wagons. Not too much out there if you are looking for efficiency and interior fit for 6′ 5″ (like me) people.
The Volvo V50 surprised us with in that I fit and had good forward visibility–usually I have to bend way down to see up towards traffic lights and the like. Granted, it isn’t very big car, but it has combination of efficiency performance, safety and handling. It is apparently an upscale version of the Ford Focus wagon, so that might be something to check out.
Never liked the Subarus. And the fact that they made a small change to one of the highest selling model in order to make it a ‘small truck’ and get around car MPG requirements turned me off to brand.
I’m not to enamoured with current hybrid offerings. Most, except for Prius and Insight, use the technology to perform like they have bigger engines, not for max efficiency. While they do offer benefit for stop and go traffic, they don’t help at all on freeway (I doubt a Ford Escape hybrid would get >30 on freeway in real world given simple aerodynamics). Personally I prefer turbo engines, which in fact are sort of a ‘hybrid’, acting like small engines most of the time with their lighter weight, smaller rotating mass, and so on, but then capable of giving you more horsepower on demand, without tricks like shutting down cylinders when cruising (don’t they still have push those dead cylinders around and around?).
Longer term, biodiesel will probably be what we get. But the options there are very limited, only Volkswagon for now. Couple more years.
I don’t drive, so feel free to discount my opinion heavily, but wouldn’t (2) be easily solved by an external trailer? Why pay for extra _internal_ carrying capacity that you’ll only use a few times a year?
Space is good for kids, yes, but if you don’t have any now its going to be years, and another car, before you need anything more than space for a car seat.
No matter what car… find the oil filter. A Volvo typically has its oil filter under the engine wholly inside a recess. The car must go up on a rack and only a special Volvo tool will get the damned thing loose. Figure out what oil change overcharges will cost over the life of a Volvo. Brutal.
If it was not assembled in Germany or Japan you are buying trouble. Change the oil to Mobil 1 ASAP. I got 150K out of a 1970s VW Rabbit that progessivly fell apart as I drove it. The only lump of remaining value was the engine – still with its factory spec compression and bright metal inside. The 1989 Golf simply runs. I await the odometer turning over into hexadecimal. Drain the antifreeze ASAP and replace with 50:50 Prestone and distilled water. Tap water is corrosive for its high chloride content. Make up low levels with the mix only. Organic acid technology (long life) antifreezes work in theory.
First weekend of every month check all fluids and pressures (including the spare). Turn your back on the Dealer and find a good garage for maintenance. And most important of all, find the @&#@!! button in the engine compartment that turns off the “Needs Maintenance” light.
I’ve been looking at the diesel versions of the various Volkswagen cars. They definitely meet your fuel efficiency requirement. I don’t know about the comfort requirement – I’m only 5′ 10″ – but my 6″ 1″ friend has an older diesel Golf and is quite happy with it. It’s pretty good on storage space as well, although you may choose to go with the Jetta. Right now they only have the Jetta and the New Beetle in diesel versions, but I would expect the GTI and the Passat to be released in diesel versions in coming years now that the US diesel supply is supposed to get cleaner.
The biggest disadvantage of diesel for you might be the temperature – considering how far north you are your fuel may tend to gel up. Obviously now most diesel cars come with tank warmers but I’ve heard tell of places cold enough where those are completely useless.
Compare $1500 repair with the cost of a new car. A warranty being up does not mean the tranny is about to fall apart. You probably have a lot of life left in that car, and the environmental choice is always to repair what you have.
Autozone will pull your codes for free, and then it’s up to you to find out what that code means for your car. A little creative googling should bring you the answer. The highest probability is that you need a new oxygen sensor. Those things only last 30-50k miles. A new one will cost about $40 at Autozone.
I don’t know if the Honda Fit would fit you, but it definitely meets your other requirements.
Being tall must be a pain in the, um, top of the head.
I suggest a Honda Fit. I’m tall as well (not quite as tall as you) and wanted a car I could haul things in without a problem. The car looks tiny, but the cabin is incredibly well engineered, its like a minivan. I didn’t believe I would fit into it but the sales guy got me into it and I drove it and loved it. I’ve had mine for about 3 months now and I am totally satisfied. Mine gets better than advertised HPGs as well (close to 40 on my most recent trip)
Afterthoughts on my earlier post:
The Toyota Highlander hybrid uses the same technology as the Prius, but with a much bigger engine. It approaches 30 mpg on the highway, but can really handle a heavy load or pulling a trailer (with some mileage loss, of course).
In terms of diesels, including the Dodge Sprinter, there is now at least one biodiesel retailer in the Capital District. The one I know of is in Troy.
Whitney Point? Best by a dam site.
When you visit your elders, do you go through Binghamton, or break off at Bainbridge and take 206 over the hills? It seems the same timewise, to me. If you’re a state thruway heretic, don’t even bother responding, unless you want a flame war.
The Scion xB might work for you. Ugly as hell, but it gets decent mileage (officially 31/35, IIRC) and has tons of space. Not sure about head and legroom, since I’m four inches shorter than you. It felt fine to me, and the dealer mentioned that Scions are quite popular with tall guys. Price is no problem, of course. 🙂 We ended up going with the xA since cargo capacity is not a concern, but the xB seemed like a good vehicle if you can ignore the hideous appearance.
Justin: I’ve driven an xB and, besides the dork factor, I didn’t feel safe in it; it was very sluggish accelerating between 40 and 50, and that’s not a good thing when one’s getting on the highwway.
Also, I swear it was an idiot magnet.
The biggest disadvantage of diesel for you might be the temperature – considering how far north you are your fuel may tend to gel up. Obviously now most diesel cars come with tank warmers but I’ve heard tell of places cold enough where those are completely useless.
That’s probably the deal-breaker for diesel. Other factors that make me less likely to buy a diesel: the somewhat spotty availability, and the fact that diesel exhaust makes me feel really ill.
Compare $1500 repair with the cost of a new car. A warranty being up does not mean the tranny is about to fall apart. You probably have a lot of life left in that car, and the environmental choice is always to repair what you have.
There’s definitely plenty of life left in the car, but I’ve been thinking about replacing it anyway. And while the transmission probably won’t fall apart the minute the warranty is up, it would leave me on the hook for about $2,500, which would be better spent toward a better car.
Somebody else can buy it used, and enjoy the remaining years of its life, with my blessing. It’s probably a significant upgrade for a lot of people around here.
When you visit your elders, do you go through Binghamton, or break off at Bainbridge and take 206 over the hills? It seems the same timewise, to me. If you’re a state thruway heretic, don’t even bother responding, unless you want a flame war.
206 over the hills.
Well, these days, I’ll get off in Unadilla, and take Route 7 to Bainbridge, because a flood washed out a bridge in East Sidney a month or so ago, but I always opt for back roads over highways.
We ended up going with the xA since cargo capacity is not a concern, but the xB seemed like a good vehicle if you can ignore the hideous appearance.
Maybe this makes me a bad person, but I can’t get past the appearance.
Also, Kate got one as a loaner once, and didn’t like the way it drove.
The idiot light turned out to be triggered by a small gas leak due to a crack in the fuel inlet pipe, so the “loose gas cap” guess was a good one. They cleaned it up and put some grease on it, and the light went out. No charge.
So it looks like I won’t be buying a new car for a few months yet. Thanks for the suggestions, though.
I love my Honda Element. It has plenty of cargo space. It gets 25 mpg on the highway and it is pretty roomy. I have basically the same requirements as you (though I am quite a bit bigger) and I don’t know what I would prefer to my Element. I would recommend, though, that if it is all the same to you, get the stick. It is easy to drive, and it works well with the four cylinder. The automatic is fine, but the stick is more fun.
I pump gas at a service station in Orange County New York and in case you didn’t know, not only will that light cause you to fail the NYSI, the car must be driven around for a number of miles to reset the monitors that will allow you to pass the inspection. Generally the mechanics will find this before connecting the car to the inspection computer, but if you go to an ethically challenged shop or if you turn the light right before you get it inspected you’ll have to pay for the failure, and then again to inspect it. Granted, the problem is rarely anything worse than Skwid has listed, but following Rob’s advice won’t work past whatever month your inspection expires.
Without hesitation I would recommend an 2006 Jetta. They meet all the requirements you laid out plus they come fully loaded. That means you don’t have to throw in extra money for a/c, stereo, etc. Also they’re great on gas. Especially if you get one of the turbo diesels (according to Car and Driver the turbo diesel ’06 Jetta gets 42 mpg city, and I know the gas ones get about 30 even driven by someone lead-footed). They also ride nice, are comfortable, and VW it seems has worked out some of the issues they were having with their engines. I know several people who have ’06 Jettas and they all love them. I like them myself. Even if I still prefer the old Volvos to any other cars in the world.
correction: I just double checked and Car and Driver lists 42 mpg as the mileage on the highway. In the city it gets 36 mpg (and they claim to be lead-footed as well).
LEASE! At least, I strongly recommend considering it. We bought a new car after having one kid, and had to sell it two years later after the 2nd, recognizing some mistakes we’d made in selection. Then we had a third kid which mandated a minivan (seriously…no other style lets you have three car seats at once). This time we leased because I’d learned my lesson that I was unable to predict my car needs 2-3 years in the future with a new family, and leasing is the most cost effective way to change cars every 3 years.
My 2003 Subaru legacy wagon is nice, kicks major winter ass – even though it’s not the Outback, but the regular plain brown legacy v4, but there are subtle ways in which cargo capacity isn’t all the way there. And the mileage isn’t all that, because of the AWD, 24-26 mpg, maybe 32 highway without the AC on. On the other hand, I do run the AC in NYC summers and I have a mild lead foot, so maybe that’s me. But I nursed the Daytona to 32 mpg.
Maybe that comes from having driven cubic miles of Detroit iron in my formative years.
On the third hand, Dad’s 2003 Avalon is cruising past 160,000 with no mechanical problems, about 26 mpg, is freaking enormous inside, and drives very nicely – good pick up, smooth steering, nice road feel. If I’d had the extra $9,000, I might have bought that.
“Um, I’ve never heard of an SES being triggered by an Odometer, so I’m going to assume Stephen is joking.”
I don’t know about Fords, but that’s the way it works in Hondas. The light in them is “maintenance required.” The *other* light (check engine) is serious, but maintenance required can be reset and won’t turn on again for X miles. This was told to me by a mechanic who showed me how to reset it and confirmed in my Haynes manual.
You can get a BMW 325/330 4 dr. for the low to mid 30s, and my 330 convertible gets 25mpg in my normal daily DC commute, and 34mpg highway (the rating is 28mpg highway, with a range from 18 to 36). Mine’s an E46, the new 3 uses an engine that gets even better mileage and they’re slightly larger inside. The 330 is a 6spd manual, by default, and gets the best mileage of the bunch. Maintenance is fully covered for the first 4yr/50k, whichever comes first. They even replace windsheild wipers. The only thing not covered is tires.
I pump gas at a service station in Orange County New York and in case you didn’t know, not only will that light cause you to fail the NYSI, the car must be driven around for a number of miles to reset the monitors that will allow you to pass the inspection.
It doesn’t surprise me that the light would cause the car to fail an inspection, which is another reason to trade it in in December, when the current inspection expires…
LEASE! At least, I strongly recommend considering it. We bought a new car after having one kid, and had to sell it two years later after the 2nd, recognizing some mistakes we’d made in selection. Then we had a third kid which mandated a minivan (seriously…no other style lets you have three car seats at once). This time we leased because I’d learned my lesson that I was unable to predict my car needs 2-3 years in the future with a new family, and leasing is the most cost effective way to change cars every 3 years.
I actually leased a ’97 Taurus for a couple of years before buying this one, but that was because I couldn’t get a loan on my grad student stipend. The usual argument against leasing is that you make payments for a couple of years, and don’t end up with anything to show for it. Sort of like renting versus buying a house.
You can get a BMW 325/330 4 dr. for the low to mid 30s, and my 330 convertible gets 25mpg in my normal daily DC commute, and 34mpg highway (the rating is 28mpg highway, with a range from 18 to 36). Mine’s an E46, the new 3 uses an engine that gets even better mileage and they’re slightly larger inside. The 330 is a 6spd manual, by default, and gets the best mileage of the bunch.
See, that’s a deal-breaker. I don’t drive stick, and while I could learn, I’ve kind of got a lot on my plate at the moment…
See, that’s a deal-breaker. I don’t drive stick, and while I could learn, I’ve kind of got a lot on my plate at the moment…
Allow me to introduce you to the SMG…
Chad, I’m not sure, but I think Bowden just threatened to shoot you with a sub-machine gun…
Chad, I’m not sure, but I think Bowden just threatened to shoot you with a sub-machine gun…
No, I’d have sepcified which one, were that the case.
When I express intent to introduce you to my little friend, the MP5, THEN you worry.
SMG is Sequential Manual Gearbox.
Chad, I’m not sure, but I think Bowden just threatened to shoot you with a sub-machine gun…
Don’t worry, he’ll never make it past the lasers.
And the sea bass.
I’m late to the discussion, but wanted to put in a vote for the Toyota Matrix, which we just bought to replace our 1996 Subaru Impreza hatchback (I too am a cheap environmentalist). We spent some time finding one that is not 4-wheel drive, to keep the mpg up, we’re seeing ~30mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. It’s a good size, the hubby is 6′ and has more room for his head than the Fit (too small) and the Prius (even the kid complained about the headroom in back). We always go for the hatchback because of the cargo issue, and the Matrix has enough room for two car seats & wiggle room in the back seat.
Is there an update on the Check Engine light?
I’m TOO late to the discussion to do myself any good, but wanted to say the SES light on my ’99 Taurus has been on since test drive, 3 1/2 years ago, and the car has run like a dream. But multiple Inspecion problems – and I got ticketed the other day for being a year past-due. So I have an auto app’t tomorrow and know I’ll be bleeding a bucket of money for nothing – I can only hope it still runs as good when they’re finished. Other than this, the Taurus has been a dream mechanically. Vicious laws out of Albany New York (I live in Sullivan County, one up from Orange) is what I blame!