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  1. #1

    First Family Car Suggestions - Durham area

    For about the past month, I have initiated an unfocused "used family car" search." My wife and I (both double Dukies) now work for the University and have somewhat modest salaries. We just had our first child in November, and I think its time to trade in the 2000 Red Mustang Convertible I have had since my sophomore year at Duke, for something more appropriate to drive my daughter around.

    I know very little about cars, and honestly dont have any significant preferences (though my wife does!) I come to DBR at least 3-4 times a day to check out basketball and football chatter, and I occasionally check out the off topic forum. I honestly trust the thoughts and opinions of folks who spend time on the board. And have seen some very helpful recommendations on other topics. There seem to be quite a few "experts!"

    I figured I would give it a try. I would genuinely appreciate any help/guidance/thoughts you all might have on initiating a used car search in the area. While I am sure my wife would prefer to buy new, I think a slightly used car is more in our wheelhouse. I imagine we are looking at some sort of SUV or station wagon.

    I am not sure a 2000 Mustang convertible, around 80K miles, a few scratches, and worn seats has much of a trade in value, but I would hope that this may be a possibility at some local used car dealership.

    My wife seems to like the Ford Escape SUV, but I dont think she has done much research either. I have spent a little time on sites like craigslist but have heard that they can be trouble. There just seems like there is so much out there, its hard to sort through all the options. Maybe I am over simplifying by thinking that I just want a good family car that is safe and a good value buy!

    If you have made it this far, thank you for listening. Hopefully someone can provide us with a a little direction. You can probably tell, I am in a little over my head.

    Best,
    Steve

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California
    Are you looking for a "like new" used car or one that has lost most of its resale value but still has 100K miles left in it? Do you want it to be safe as a tank to protect your baby? Or more nimble as your wife (and you) trot around town doing all the errands a family must? Do you plan to have this car in the future, when babies no. 2 and 3 appear?

    When you can answer those kinds of questions, then (maybe) you can determine for yourself what you want. Certainly advice can be provided with that information.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    raleigh
    my recommendations are very easy....go to your nearest Acura dealership and check out the Pre-owned. I'm on my 3rd Acura in 25 years and i've logged 195k, 210k and 175k(current) respectively on those three autos. I bought the first LEGEND new, then the next two "pre-owned"...both of those came with 24k and 27k miles on them... The quality is off the chain...

    when i run the wheels off this one, i'll get another.


    ps...during that time, MRS pie has owned Toyota, Nissans and Hondas...i'll stick with the Acura...(i should do a commercial)
    "One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    New Orleans, Louisiana
    Quote Originally Posted by StDukie42 View Post
    My wife seems to like the Ford Escape SUV, but I dont think she has done much research either. I have spent a little time on sites like craigslist but have heard that they can be trouble.
    The new Ford Escape is the first major overhaul of that model in about 10 years. I know this because I looked at last year's model, and it looked the same as it did in 2001. I'm wondering if the reviews you saw were about the old model.

    That particular SUV search ended with a Hyundai Tucson, which was purchased on a terrific day to buy a car: Black Friday. No sales specific to that day, but it's a day when everyone is shopping but not for cars, so salespeople are itching to make a deal.) The car has been fine so far, but has depreciated significantly after one year. Something to consider if you don't plan to drive a car until it dies.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Asheville, NC

    Ford Escape

    I still have my 2001 Ford Escape and love it. It has 189,000 miles on it and the Ford dealership doesn't try to sell me a new one--they said I could get 250-300,000 miles as long as I take care of it. I regularly have it serviced, and have never had a problem. It works great when my husband and teenager go camping too.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Orange County, NC
    We bought a Honda insight about a year and a half ago for my wife's commute - then had a kid in September. After our first trip to my parents' with a kid, three small dogs, luggage, and baby accessories we realized the insight had to go.

    After a good bit of research we finally settled on a 2012 Honda CRV. It's got the room we need, a good safety rating, middle position carseat adaptability, and its decent on gas. My issue was the engine but for a 4 cyl suv its surprisingly fun to drive. We waited until we found one well below KBB, told the dealer OUR terms and he called us back the next day to reluctantly accept.

    So far so good. Only issue ive noticed is that the driver seat leg room is kinda lacking.

  7. #7
    I like Fords (we almost bought the new Explorer), but rented the new Escape a few months ago and wasn't overly impressed. Nothing wrong per se, but I wasn't blown away by any stretch of the imagination.

    You write that you're on modest salaries... Are you sure you specifically need a SUV? I will admit that our Audi Q5 is nice for getting our 2 year old (we bought it right around her first birthday) in and out of the car seat (you don't have to bend over and lean in as much). On the flip side, it will be much longer until they can get in themselves. In my BMW 3 series, she can now climb in (can't quite buckle herself yet, though).

    I hear good things about Subarus, and obviously Honda and Toyota have reputations for a reason.

    There are a lot of great cars out there today. I would suggest test driving new models, find one you like, then try to find pre-owned.

    Lastly, assuming you're still using the infant carrier, I'll put in a plug for the Recaro convertible carseats (for when your baby outgrows the carrier). We have a Recaro ProRide in my wife's car, and a Graco convertible in mine. Love the Recaro, hate the buckle on the Graco. A little steep ($299?), but I liked it better than the Britax as well.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    First, congrats on the birth of your daughter - sounds like another possible future Devil Alumna!

    I did a similar search 2 years ago - upgraded my subcompact to a new Mom-mobile, and ended up with a Chevy Equinox, which I'd recommend with enthusiasm (only mildly tempered by the fact that I don't really like the rear sightlines of SUV's in general.) I may have preferred a station wagon, I think, but my husband's a big guy (6'5"), and doesn't fit behind the wheel of most on the market.

    We've had a similar thread before: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/...-crossover-SUV

    And a discussion of new cars that had a review of some SUV's: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/...-car-this-year

    Good luck, let us know what you end up finding!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Austin, TX
    How many people are you trying to fit into the car with any regularity?

    We have 2 kids (debating a third) and a 2000 Dodge Caravan. It works very well in these ways:

    1) My 18 month old can climb in himself. (Although my daughter at the same age probably could not have.)
    2) It fits our family plus 2 grandparents.
    3) It has safely and reliably been transporting us around for 2 years.

    It's not a perfect car in these ways:

    1) The LATCH attach points didn't show up in cars until a few years after ours was made. So carseat installation is a bit trickier.
    2) In the middle is a short row, not 2 captains chairs. It's a little trickier to get to the back seat, but we've managed fine.

    Why we have it: It was handed down from my brother when he moved to the big city and wanted to get rid of it. We only paid to have it shipped to us. Hard to beat that price.

    With only one or even two kids eventually, wouldn't a Camry or Accord work? For a station wagony effect some families here have Mazda 5-s.

    Also in our family, just being the way things work out, I drive the van, my husband drives a subcompact '96 Saturn. For various reasons we only have 1 car seat in his car. It's only been annoying, in the sense that he can't take both kids at the same time, maybe half a dozen times in the past year. So if your family driving habits are equally asymmetrical, you might make different choices.

    And finally, we have friends who have 2 kids and 2 Honda Civics. It seems the bigger deal is to get from a 2 door car to a 4 door. If your budget is tight, know that pretty much any 4 door is an improvement on your current situation.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Atlanta 'burbs
    There are lots of good ideas posted above regarding cars.

    I have had good luck using AutoTrader on line, and searching for a "Granny" car from the original owner. One that might be a little older, but has very low mileage. Other folks that I know swear by Carmax, and even though they tend to be somewhat higher priced, supposedly their cars have been checked out thoroughly, and many come with warranties.

    If your Mustang isn't worth much as a trade-in and it is in good shape, I might also suggest you hold on to it. I am a big fan of having a "back-up" car, for when the main car is in the shop, or there are two drivers for one car (it's a lot cheaper than frequent car rentals). Besides, it is only going to seem like about 4 months to you that your daughter is going to be getting her drivers license. She may enjoy driving around in an "antique" Mustang.

    p.s. I am serious about the "four months". It seems like about 3 years ago that I was driving my oldest daughter to her first day of school. She is now married and expecting my first Grandchild. Cherish every minute!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Back in the dirty Jerz
    I'll throw in my two cents and recommend a Subaru Outback. It's got good room for up to two kids, nice trunk for lugging diaper bags, pack and plays, and strollers around. It drives like a real car, not like a top heavy tank. The wagon will have better visibility than an SUV (safer for your family). Good gas mileage. Great reliability. It's a recommended buy by Consumer Reports.

    The most economical way to buy would be to buy a 2-3 year old vehicle in good shape with low miles. The worst of the depreciation drop will have occurred and it should still have a full warranty.

    I'll take back the above if you are planning to have three kids in fairly quick succession. If that's your plan, you probably should jump right to the minivan.

  12. #12
    We have 2 kids and a Mazda 5 and have been really happy with it. Drives like a car, but we can fit 6 people in it if needed. Most times, we have the rear 2 seats collapsed and it's essentially a station wagon.

    If you're looking for more help and advice with the whole process, you might take a look at Car Pal. I've known the owner for years, and have recommended her to a couple of friends who felt like she really helped them get better deals. If you're wondering what your options are, wanting to maximize trade-in value, etc., I bet she could help you.

  13. #13
    It's funny that the two vehicles that popped into my head were Subaru Outback and Mazda 5, and they've now been recommended. I didn't specifically recommend them since I have no experience with those two, but as a car guy, I've heard a lot of good things about them over the years.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    We've bought two Honda CRV's recently and been very happy with both of them.
    We bought a used one for our daughter who is now at school at UNC-Wilmington. She's had no problem with hers and it has survived the trips back and forth (we live in Cincinnati) and been very reliable over all. It now has about 170,000 miles on it. The principal factor in buying it was its high safety rating for teen drivers.
    My wife needed a new car last year so we bought another CRV - this time buying a new one. Aside from the experience with our daughter's car, it was the size that appealed most to my wife. She wanted something that sat up a little higher on the road than average without getting into the full land barge category of big SUV's.
    I've also been very impressed with the dealerships we use here and in Wilmington with respect to service.
    If we needed another car of similar type, I'd be quite happy buying another CRV.

  15. #15
    Thank you all so much for the comments. I was not expecting so many responses so quickly. I came on last night to see if there was any update regarding Ryan's foot (though most real time info can now be found on twitter...if you are willing to sort through the junk!) And checked on the off topic thread. I was amazed that there were already so many responses.

    Buying a car with a newborn seems a little tricky. Because its just me, my wife, and our daughter, a new car is not immediately necessary. We have our car seat installed in my wifes Jetta. We would never put her in my mustang! Moreover, our commute to work, and very soon to daycare, is less than 5 minutes. (We live very close to campus)

    But we feel like soon, we need a family car. Especially because we have grandparents and family out of town and we know as our daughter grows over the next year, we will be on the road with her much more.

    To respond to some of the questions above:

    1) My wife would prefer a "Like new" car, but think we would be fine with a car with 50K to 60K miles. We dont know enough about repairs to take on a project car with 100K+ miles, though if we found one that didnt have any major issues, it may be a nice buy for a few years.
    2) Safety is a huge concern but it does not have to be a tank. We have our daughter in a Jetta now which is probably not ideal!
    3) We would probably updgrade when our daughter is older, and if we are blessed to have another child...or two...or three!!!!
    4) Dont need an SUV...Reisen, we would be willing to buy a used BMW 3 series if the price is right...I love this car!

    All,
    I really appreciate the feedback. It is helpful to understand all the considerations. I asked my wife to read through the thread. (She thinks its weird that I posted this...though I never told her that I did the same with our wedding band (music not ring!) search which resulted in us finding the band of our dreams...East Coast Entertainment was very helpful by the way.)

    We have a lot to think about. Ill do my best to post updates to our search. While its easy to spend time on DBR (on my phone and Ipad) its a little different when you try to actively post.

    Brevity has never been my strong suit...I need to learn how to be a better message board poster!

    Thanks everyone. Go Duke....Big game this weekend against our neighbors in Red. Hoping Josh, Alex, Amile, and Marshall can step it up. And hope Ryan gets well soon. This has been such a fun year.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Quote Originally Posted by StDukie42 View Post
    But we feel like soon, we need a family car. Especially because we have grandparents and family out of town and we know as our daughter grows over the next year, we will be on the road with her much more.
    There's a lot of social stigma around minivans, but they are truly great at moving people and gear.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Watching carolina Go To HELL!
    Quote Originally Posted by moonpie23 View Post
    I bought the first LEGEND new, then the next two "pre-owned".
    Did you buy the first Legend, the 1986 model, or your first Legend was new? I bought a new 1986 Legend in 1986. Loved that car! I put ~160,000 miles on it in 4 years. The tranny was replaced at 102,000, free, with the 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty I got as a throw in to the deal! Other than that, it was a great car.

    Quote Originally Posted by brevity View Post
    The new Ford Escape is the first major overhaul of that model in about 10 years. I know this because I looked at last year's model, and it looked the same as it did in 2001. I'm wondering if the reviews you saw were about the old model.

    That particular SUV search ended with a Hyundai Tucson, which was purchased on a terrific day to buy a car: Black Friday. No sales specific to that day, but it's a day when everyone is shopping but not for cars, so salespeople are itching to make a deal.) The car has been fine so far, but has depreciated significantly after one year. Something to consider if you don't plan to drive a car until it dies.
    I'm on my second Sonata (a 2012 turbo, the first one was a 2007 V6), and my wife drives a 2011 Elantra. They are great cars, and you can buy a new one for about the same price as a gently used model. They are holding their value very well. Note that the 60,000 bumper to bumper warranty transfers to a second owner, but the 1000,000 powertrain warranty DOES NOT transfer to a second owner. Hyundai's are great cars, great values and very reliable. If you're interested in looking, I'll refer you to my dealer in Raleigh and make sure you get a great deal. PM me. A Sonata or Santa Fe might be ideal for you.
    Quote Originally Posted by bluebutton View Post
    There's a lot of social stigma around minivans, but they are truly great at moving people and gear.
    You can't go wrong with a minivan for a family vehicle. We had several, but now my daughter has one (a Toyota Sienna) so I don't need one!
    Ozzie, your paradigm of optimism!

    Go To Hell carolina, Go To Hell!
    9F 9F 9F
    https://ecogreen.greentechaffiliate.com

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    20 Minutes From The Heaven That Is Cameron Indoor
    Toyota guy here. I have owned 3 of them total since 1984, which should tell you something. Based on what you have shared, the Camry would be an excellent choice, or you could step up a little and get the Lexus (made by Toyota). You can actually get a used Lexus at a very reasonable price compared to the price of new ones. I know you said you did not need one, but the Lexus SUV is very nice as well.

    Camry's are hard to beat though, and they are roomy enough for the in-laws when required. Safety is top notch as well.

    Good luck in whatever you choose!

    P.S. I am also a huge Mustang lover! Bad news is I am not a convertible guy. If yours was a hard top with a V8 engine and 5 or 6 speed, I would be making you an offer! If you can afford to, I would suggest keeping it. You may get the notion to restore it one day which would greatly increase the value.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California
    Quote Originally Posted by Newton_14 View Post
    Toyota guy here. I have owned 3 of them total since 1984, which should tell you something. Based on what you have shared, the Camry would be an excellent choice, or you could step up a little and get the Lexus (made by Toyota). You can actually get a used Lexus at a very reasonable price compared to the price of new ones. I know you said you did not need one, but the Lexus SUV is very nice as well.

    Camry's are hard to beat though, and they are roomy enough for the in-laws when required. Safety is top notch as well.

    Good luck in whatever you choose!

    P.S. I am also a huge Mustang lover! Bad news is I am not a convertible guy. If yours was a hard top with a V8 engine and 5 or 6 speed, I would be making you an offer! If you can afford to, I would suggest keeping it. You may get the notion to restore it one day which would greatly increase the value.
    Second on Toyotas. If you want something slightly bigger than a Camry, look at the Avalon. Very nice car. Maybe too nice for small children (probably not true for a used one), but carries more than a Camry. Four doors, bigger trunk, bigger back seat (easier for child seat access), Still reasonably economical, but does have a V-6 (and a bit of a punch). I've had one since 2003; I even get unsolicited inquiries about selling it.

    After the hurricanes, be aware that there are a number of flood-damaged used cars of all types on the market. Be sure to avoid them. Question the seller about the car's background and have it checked out by a pro before you commit. Even if there is still a warranty on the car, if it's flood-damaged, look for another vehicle.

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