Can't speak for any of them myself, but i also have a friend who has a Jeep, and she also hates it. She says it has had more than its fair share of time in the shop (mostly electrical and cooling issues) and "everything" about the way it steers.

My friend had a Jeep Liberty. She loved it except for one thing. It broke down all the time. She spent a fortune on repairs. She finally got rid of it and got a Honda CR-V, which is darling especially the new ones.

Another vote for a honda CRV...

I was listening to Car Talk on NPR recently, and they went off on the Jeep, too.

We are Honda people.

Try the Car Talk car ratings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Car Talk survey

I've had many Toyota's and like them but when I purchased a new car last year I went with the Honda Pilot. I did so much research and narrowed it down to the 4Runner and Pilot. I looked at safety, reliability, gas mileage, and price. The 4Runner and Pilot were pretty equal. The reason I went with the Pilot was the interior configuration and price. I got a great deal.

Since you don't need something as big as the Pilot I would definitely look at the CRV.

I don't know how the CRV handles in snow but my Pilot was amazing last year.

Good luck!

Tracey

Have you looked at the Subaru Forester? I've got a 2000 Legacy wagon that got me to work in 14" of snow just fine. I've had no major problems with it (not including the recent rear-ending incident) and love the reliability and comfortable travel. I hope to upgrade to the Forester the next time I trade cars. There is a reason why Subaru owners "love" their cars.

Teresa

We are on our 3rd Jeep, granted they all have been Grand Cherokees and we love, love, love them. None have had any major work done, knock on wood, just your average maintenance stuff, break pads, new tires, stuff like that.

But if you need reliable and good gas mileage, my SS, who is used car dealer, would suggest Subaru Forester :)

Thanks for that link, it's got some great info!

Good to know about the Jeep, too.

I have not seen any Honda's or Subaru's in the used car lots I have checked, and only one Rav 4. That tells me they're probably pretty good cars! LOL

I am leaning toward the Mercury. Lots of extras and a nice-looking vehicle. My girlfriend has a Ford Explorer and said she has had not problems with it. I'd go for the Escape if I was going Ford, tho, just because it's smaller.

Linda

Linda, I'm sure you'll know when you find the right fit for you. I just wanted to add however, that sometimes, penny-wise can be pound foolish, so don't limit yourself while you're looking. You may just find what you're looking for, in a car you know is reliable.

FWIW, if I couldn't find a Toyota, I would definitely look at the Subaru Forester. I can't tell you how many people I know have had theirs for Years! I know they do well in weather, and don't seem to have a lot of problems. Just another vote to confuse the issue...

The thing is.....there are not too many Subarus on the used car lots because folks drive then into oblivion. I tried to find a used Legacy Wagon when I was looking to get a newer car, but could not find any in my area with less than 150,000 miles on them. So, I ended up buying a new one!

I would look at the Kia Sorento also.

The Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester are very similar cars that are frequently compared by buyers and in car magazines. I compared the cars myself when I bought my first Forester (new), and did it again when recently buying my second Forester (used).

I'm in Jersey and found many relatively low-mileage models of each. Ended up with an '06 Forester LL Bean model with all the bells & whistles and 37k miles/one owner for $13k, which included a trade-in. Foresters are considered superior to the CRV/RAV4 in rain and snow.

That's it Linda, ya just gotta come out east here and do some car shopping!!

Oh wouldn't THAT be fun! LOL

I spent the last several hours looking....again.

Not a Subaru of any kind on any lot. I did find one Honda CRV, but it was in rough shape. I also found a 2004 Rav....very nice, but no price sticker on it and there was nobody at the dealership. (small lot, my guess is they may have been out on a test drive with a customer?). I'll give them a call and get some info on it.

Unfortunately I do have to limit myself, depending on what the insurance will pay because I am not gainfully employed at this time. Picking up hours at the hospital, but it is sporadic at best. If I was working consistently it would be a different story.

Linda

DH has Ford Escape - travels alot - it has been reliable and very comfortable. 1st he got it as a company car, we were being frugal because we wanted to stay within the allotted money provided - well then the company did away with the Car benefit ( grateful to still be employed). We liked the Ford Escape so much, we bought it from the company. We would buy another.
I am one who had a Jeep Grand Cherokee who hated it. It always felt like it was going to tip over exit ramps on the beltway! My neighbor had the Liberty and felt the same way. I got rid of it earlier than I planned becasue I hated it so much - and the gas mileage was horrendous.
Please look & drive a Ford Escape.

Linda, I'm here just to add my condolences... replacing a vehicle with only the insurance money is hard.

But, hang in there and try not to settle for a problem vehicle. I can only plug Subaru... we have an Outback with 184,000 miles on it that runs like a top and has gotten us thru all kinds of winter weather. When my Bonneville died, we bought a new Subaru Tribeca which has also been great so far. I'm in the 'thinking' stage about a new Outback.

Nancy

Canoe-Linda....don't be looking at "lots"...look at ads on line, you don't want a car that has made it to a lot...you want someone who is selling it themselves....then take it somewhere and pay to have it evaluated....and then go back with a counter offer.
Good used cars never make it to a used car lot.
Linda c

Oh there's no way I'll be able to buy a car with only the money the insurance company decides my old Rav was worth. I know I am going to have to pay some cash out of pocket. Which bums me out a bit because I was putting along all happy with no car payments for the last several years and no need to think I would have car payments for some time yet.... Ah well....

Yep, Linda I have been looking at ads and at Car Soup and at Auto trader, etc. I disagree that no good used cars ever make it to a used car lot. I bought both my Toyotas at used car lots and they were excellent cars.

But that's neither here nor there, I guess. I am scouring all avenues at this point just to see what is out there. Hopefully I'll get some feedback from the insurance company tomorrow. They are taking their sweet old time getting back to me....

Linda

Linda I have nothing to add, except do you have a CarMax anywhere nearby? I hear that they do a great job with used cars.

My last car was a Subaru WRX. My current car is a Jeep wrangler.

I miss my subaru terribly. I wanted the forester, since I loved the car but just needed more room for 3 kids and loads of sporting gear. DH wanted me to have the Jeep Wrangler since it has more of a "cool" factor. I regret not standing my ground.

It is a blast in the summer to take the top off the Jeep and drive to the beach. It is a fun, fun, fun car to drive. But in the real world, I'm way too busy to be putting that PITA top up and down (it's difficult to do if you're short). And getting stuff in and out of the back is tough since it's a low window and the gate swings open, but doesn't stay open if you're on a hill. I'm forever shoving groceries down and squishing stuff. The gas milage stinks and with the soft top in the wind you seriously think you're going to die when a branch comes crashing through the roof. Also, no pick up whatsoever. My Subaru had turbo which was awesome for merging onto the highway when the entrance ramp was up a steep hill like the one nearest my home. On the plus side, other Jeep Wrangler owners wave at you which is funny, and you do look good driving it with the top down and doors off.

My next car is a Forrester with turbo.

AM

Add me to the list of people who LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Jeep. I have the Wrangler with a 6 cylinder and the gas mileage just sucks, about 16 MPG, but I live half a mile from work and walk so it works for me. The 4 wheel drive has gotten me through snow up to the windows on unplowed back roads a couple of times and it's been worked on once in the 4 years and 45,000 miles I've had it.

I have the hardtop, which is a pain to take on and off, I'd like the soft top, and I don't think it's any more of a pain than other convertibles. I had an MG midget and the top on that was way more difficult than on the Jeep, as was the "boot cover" on Amanda's Mustang convertible.

I think my lifestyle is much different than AM's, I have no kids to drive around unless I take the grandkids somewhere, I haul few groceries but I do haul a stock trailer every now and then, and with that 6 cylinder I don't have any problem with "pick up". Of course, driving the pasture, the hayfield, the National Forest and that half mile to work doesn't require a lot of speed and quick takeoff, LOL. I did manage to pull a big Ford "dually" out of the barnyard muck with the Jeep too, and it was hooked to a stock trailer with a 2,000 bull in it, so the power is there if I need it.

I know at least three people who have Ford Escapes and they love them and tell me they've been reliable, I've never driven one though.

One of my lawyers has a Honda Element and it's a piece of carp. It's had continuing and ongoing issues with the transmission and it won't go through more than 3 or 4 inches of snow, that's an issue here in Michigan. One of Elery's staff had a Honda Civil that lost a transmission at 80,000 miles too, so maybe it's a specific year problem?

another lawyer has a Subaru Forester with about a zillion miles on it, the only time it had major repairs was when he hit a deer with it, so it's been reliable.

The boss has a Chevy Blazer with 150,000 miles on it and no significant repairs. Her prior Blazer got traded in with 220,000 miles on it, and no signicant repairs other than the traditional car/deer accidents, two of them.

My dentist has had a Navigator for years, the same one. A couple of minor issues, but nothing huge and it's got at least 150,000 miles on it. It still looks good too, but I think he keeps it in the garage.

Buying a used car is a crap shoot, especially when you are looking at 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. You never know how the prior owner used them, drove them or maintained them. Chances are good that someone with a tricked out Wrangler baja'd the heck out of it, for instance.

good luck.

Annie

And don't forget Annie - you are totally cool and look like the hot babe that you are driving that Jeep around! I look like a pathetic soccer mom that is too vain to bite the bullet and get the minivan she really needs.

AM
:)

Sorry, AM, Ashley tells me I COULD be hot, but only if I let her dress me. LOL.

The Chuck E Cheese stickers that Makayla stuck on the back windows does negate the cool factor a bit too....that's before anyone notices her "princess" booster seat in the back. (grin)

I hauled a table and two chairs in it today, and a bookshelf last week, so it serves my purposes.

Annie

Seems like you mostly have your mind made up on the type of vehicle.

At work we make axles for the Jeep. I've not worked on that line in a couple years and then only to do an egronomics study. Gal at work bought a new Liberty and loves it... her first 4 wheel drive.

We also make lots of Ford parts. I don't think any go in the vehicles you mention.

I try to focus on the type of vehicle I want rather then any particular one. Last time I went shopping I wanted another Bravada but came home with a Blazer. The Chevy was about 5K cheaper then the Olds I looked at and well optioned. No heated leather seats but I'm happy with the cloth. That was in '03 and the little white truck is still trucking. About 3K in repairs/maintenance but that is still cheaper then car payments... I paid off the loan in 3 months so I only have to keep up with repairs.

When I was younger I often looked for vehicles that needed repairs. If it needed tires, brakes, battery, muffler it was a good excuse to demand a rock bottom price. My Firebird needed all that stuff and the dealer knocked a couple grand off the asking price... which nicely covered the needed items.

When buying used I make low ball offers and stand firm. I tell the seller I have "X" amount of cash and ask if they will take that. Then I pretend I really don't have another dime I can scratch up. I put the blame on the bank and say that is all they will give me... that way they don't waste time trying to work me over for more money. They can say no and I can find another vehicle to make an offer on. Most of the time I get the vehicle!

Watch out for little snakes that want to run a credit check first. They are really just fishing to see how much they can soak you for. Tell them you have your own bank. First sign of pressure or implication you don't have enough money just walk. I've had them chase me to my vehicle offering to try to make the deal work... umm no... deal square from the get go or I'm gone. Sales people hate me... and I like it that way. If they leave you in the waiting room for an extended period of time just leave. Car salepeople tend to be fat heads that think it a sport to jerk you around. Always remember you have the money they don't. Any car dealer having a sales event should be avoided... they have special teams of high pressure jerks at those.

: )
lyra

I agree, Lyra, car salesmen hate me. I do my research, find the vehicle(s) I'm interested in, and then shop, I decide in advance how much I'll spend. I walk onto the lot, tell them I want XXX vehicle and I'll give them XXX dollars. If they say no, or they need to talk to their supervisor or whatever, I leave. (shrug) I don't "fall in love" with vehicles, ever, at least not on the lot and in front of the salespeople, LOL. There's always another one that will do, especially now when people aren't buying cars.

I had two Dodge conversion vans that I also loved, the first one was never in the shop a single day until the day it got totalled by a guy running a red light. I went to the local car dealer, said "I want that van and I'll give you XXXX". His price was $3,000 higher and I shrugged and went home. He called that night, sold me the van AND filled the gas tank and replaced the tires before we were done.

I'm definitely not afraid to stand my ground, it's MY money.

Annie

That's the way to do it Annie, and while I haven't bought a car in a long time and have traditionally been one of those people whom car salespeople "see coming", I need to be more like you next time, so I appreciate the lesson. Being "older" and wiser helps too. It also helps in my case to stay away from anything young, attractive and male whose job it is to sell pretty much anything, as I am a complete pushover in those events. Just the thought of you falling in love with a car in front of someone at a dealership made me giggle.

I don't drive truck type vehicles, but have driven Mercury (Ford) products consistently since 1991 and have been very pleased with their dependability and reasonable cost of repair when I have needed something. I don't drive a lot of miles, true, but if a vehicle is out and out unreliable, it doesn't sound to me like that always makes a difference.

Well, the verdict is in. Went out yesterday and spent the entire day looking at and driving used cars. I drove Hondas, Subarus, Toyotas, Fords, Saturns, etc.

I have to admit I wasn't impressed with the newer model Toyota Rav 4's. The Subaru Foresters I drove were really uncomfortable for me. I am 5'0" and I had the seat all the way forward and still had to stretch to reach the pedals! LOL

The two I liked the best were the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape. I ended up buying the Ford Escape because it has a V-6 rather than a 4 cylinder engine, so it had a lot more "guts" (as Tim called it!) Just had more pep overall and more room, too.

So Wednesday I go and pick up my "new" car. I am sure I'll like it.

Thanks for all the input. I thought about everything every one of you said as I drove all those vehicles!

Linda

Linda, I'm glad to hear you tried them all and found the one that fits. (I didn't realize that about the Subaru which is good to know, as you and I are the same height.) It must be a huge relief to have some wheels!

Congratulations on the new vehicle, Linda, I hope you'll love it. I had to smile at the "guts", that's what Dad always called vehicles with a bit more horsepower than absolutely necessary, LOL. As for a vehicle that "fits", it's important. My mother drives a new Impala, it now has about 4,000 miles on it. She kind of wanted the new Malibu, the one that all the experts say is better than anything else on the market. She drove one and just couldn't get comfortable and ended up with the Impala because she's 4'10" and that's what she was comfortable in. She still has to sit on a pillow, though.

Lyra, Elery has a Bravada with 180,000 miles and it has heated seats. (grin) He loves it and wants to keep it forever, it's been a darned good vehicle.

Scott, young/male/goodl ooking is something of an issue for me too, but not when it comes to thousands of MY hard earned dollars. Next time you need a vehicle, I'll come to California and help you shop! It's way more fun to spend someone else's hard earned money. LOL Oh, and the internet can be your friend, you can print out the lowest price vehicles that you are interested and present them to salespeople. "See, I can buy THE SAME VEHICLE at your competitor for this price". Yup, it works. I bought the Jeep 4 years ago. Right now it's still booked at just about what I paid for it then, so I got a great deal.

Annie

You will love the Ford Escape ~ it can definitely get up and go! I am also not very tall:) and it is comfortable for me to drive. I am sorry you had to buy a new vehicle - it is one of the things I hate to do! Enjoy~and good luck.

Glad you found something you liked and was in your price range. I was going to suggest the CRV, but it's moot now! For anyone else looking, my DH has one and used to live in a very snowy place. The automatic four wheel drive is VERY nice and he's never had it break loose (when he doesn't want it to, he loves to try to scare the bejezus out of me when it snows).

However, I'm glad you found something you like! Enjoy your new car!

Bri