[MarkL]

Hi All,

I'm in need of some advice. My little 2000 Toyota Corolla has just about had it... It's got 178,000 miles, and I've just been informed that I need to have the engine rebuilt. The "Check Engine" idiot light came on, and when I took it in to the dealer, they informed me that the diagnostic informed them that one of my cylinders is missing, and the "bad cylinder" is down nearly 50% on compression. The plug for that cylinder is also badly fouled, and I've been burning quite a bit of oil for more than a month now (about a quart every 2 weeks). They don't know if the problem is with the head, maybe a bad valve and oil seal, though that seems a bit excessive for a seal problem, or if it's a problem with the cylinder wall and rings. Of course, they can't know for sure without disassembling the engine, but even the cheapest fix looks like it's going to cost nearly double of the blue book value of the car. That, besides needing other work on the car, like a new clutch and tires simply doesn't make it worth fixing.

I would normally get another Toyota Corolla, since I've had 2 so far, and both have been terrific, lasting 10 years or so, but I've now got an issue with arthritis in my knees, and it's getting hard to get in and out of such a low-sitting car (and extremely painful). So I'm having to think about something new...

I'm sort of gravitating to a used car, something around 2007 that has the seat higher off the ground. I need something relatively small, a 4 door with some covered storage, so a pickup won't work for me. I was thinking of something like a PT Cruiser or an HHR, but I'm not that crazy buying a Chrysler or Chevy at this point. Or maybe a small SUV, but prices are just so darned high and the mileage leaves a lot to be desired. I would like to get at least 29mpg highway with a manual transmission, and keep the amount down below $10,000 with at least a 12/12K powertrain warranty (so I'll be buying from a dealer, Enterprise, or CarMax probably).

Any advice on vehicles that will fit my needs would be very much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Mark

[rabscuttle385]

Get a Hyundai Sonata.

Rumor also has it that the new Fords are quite nice, too.

[umgud]

I’d say a small SUV for decent seat height. Most the small or even compact sedans are going to be pretty low slung.

[lmr]

Don’t Help the economy until Obama is out of office, until then... Walk.

;-)

[martin_fierro]

I hear Pontiac and Oldsmobile have renewed their commitment to building quality cars.

[Adams]

Want a high seat hight, but in a car? Try a used Chrysler 300 with the 3.5L V6. There should be plenty of them in the price range you ar elooking at.

[grey_whiskers]

It's a shame you couldn't have done something under "Cash for Clunkers" but Brett Favre is already with the Vikings. :-)

Sorry, I sympathize but cannot help : I drive an econobox myself. Possibly a Kia Sorento (21 city / 29 Hwy)?

Or a Hyundai Elantra (23 city / 31 Hwy)?

Cheers!

[americanophile]

No government motors (GM) or Chrysler.

[aliquando]

Don’t buy a new one. Buy one coming off of a two year lease. You will save a bunch!

[azsportsterman]

Harley Sportster 883. you can buy brand new for under $10K, great gas mileage (50+ mpg), seat height is perfect, and it’s easy to find parking.

[Reaganez]

If you are used to Toyota NVH(Noise,Vibration,and Harshness) Hyundai will blow chunks. Stay away.

You can get a 2006-07 Ford Escape with 75k miles or so for $12k.

You can get a 2006-07 Ford Fusion with less than 40k miles for $12k or less. Higher quality ratings than either Toyota Camry or Honda Accord,it is a little smaller than either of those two(but bigger than a Corolla) but higher quality ratings.

I would get the HHR over the PT Cruiser.

I own a 2003 Honda Accord and my next car will be a new Camaro V6.

If you have read some of my recent postings I am rooting for the General to do well.

But in your specific case,with your budget and requirements in mind I would strongly recommend on of the two Fords. Very high quality and counter intuitively not very good re-sale value.It takes time for reputation to catch up to reality. Bad for new Ford buyers but good for you.

Specialty niche vehicles have lower quality than large volume mainstream product. Ergo retro micro-vans like the PT Cruiser and HHR will have lower quality compared to their mainstream brethren.

Although later model PT cruisers improved quite a bit.
The power-train on the HHR is fine but trim/interior fit/finish leaves something to be desired.

Again, I would go with either the Ford Escape or Fusion.

[Stephen25]

I suggest visiting Edmonds.com. they are a great site, they give the invoice price of the vehicle, and the actual cost of all the extras you may want. if you do your research and know what you want, you will pay thousands off msrp. They have a TMV true market value price, which gives the dealer some profit, which is fair, but doesnt rip the buyer off. I have bought all our vehicles at the TMV price. and saved thousands every time. no games. Just call the dealer, ask for the fleet manager, and tell them what you want. of course you can test drive vehicles before you deice, but do not buy anything at that time.

i recommend toyota, and also, a new vehicle. if youre going to buy a 2 year old car you may as well get a brand new one because the price diff. is insignificant if you do it ruight., without any potential mystery problems.

[Outlaw Woman]

Remember the Flintstones? (sorry couldn’t resist) Yaba Daba Dooo

[Lancey Howard]

Definitely check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jHFT1X1JDI

[green pastures]

I have a 2004 Toyota Corolla. In that year, they have a seat adjustment that allows you to raise/lower the driver’s seat. Now, let me clarify— the version I have has a dial to do this and is not electronic. So it’s not like you can really adjust it while sitting in it (at least not much). But it is definitely higher up and easier to get in and out of than the Tercel I had for 10 years before that, and the ‘92 Corolla that my Mom has.

I would guess that models after 2004 have that feature as a minimum, and possibly even have the electronic version that is easier to adjust while in the seat. I know of other cars that have this feature. I’m guessing by know it’s advanced further. (Like they probably have an iPod jack and that streaming title’artist of songs on the radio now that they didn’t have in my car... :-( )

Regarding your comment, “I would like to get at least 29mpg highway with a manual transmission,”— if you’re facing knee troubles, I would recommend you consider an automatic transmission. Manual shifting can be harder on the knees than getting in and out of the car. At least in my personal experience.

Good luck in your search for a good vehicle...

[ctdonath2]

Buy used.

[eyedigress]

Any Honda Accord. Best car ever

[oldenuff2no]

I would look for a rental return ford escape or Toyota rav4. We are running a big Ford suv and a F350 super-duty. My diesel pickup has over 250K on it and is as strong as it ever was. Our excursion is also a diesel and it has a little over 150K and has never had any problem at all. I'm starting to look for a rig for my teenage son and we will be checking out the used ford escapes and Toyota rav4’s. We are in a situation that I am going to need him driving as soon as he is legal so I'll be buying his new rig and letting him drive it around the ranch for the next couple of years. He is fourteen and already drives my truck around the ranch.
just for giggles and grins, at what age do you let your kids drive on their own???

[LIBERTARIAN JOE]

If you're going to buy used, check your state's sales tax laws... Georgia charges sales tax on used vehicles. You can avoid the tax by purchasing from a private seller but you have to be careful to have the vehicle thoroughly checked out to avoid buying someone else's problem auto.

I recently bought a classic muscle car on-line and was unpleasantly surprised to find out about the tax - not only do the GA gov't parasites charge tax on the car (7%), they also charge it on the shipping.

As far as the make goes, there's really no choice is there? We're down to just Ford now. As for models, the Fusion and Focus are great cars. Personally, I've got a '93 F150, a '96 Escort and a '07 Fusion with a combined total of well over 300k miles and well under 2 visits to the repair shop between them.

[Neidermeyer]

Before you sell find a REAL MECHANIC ,, you can check the cylinder bore visually through the spark plug hole using a borescope just as you would with a rifle .. if the bore is good and doesn't have deep vertical gouging you have either a head problem or stuck piston rings ,, for stuck rings or leaking past valve guides go get some AUTO-RX at auto-rx.com ,, it WILL clean the ring lands and drainback holes and the valvestem seals etc. etc. if they aren't physically damaged this will fix the oil consumption problem.

Worst case if it is a head is a simple head replacement ,, maybe $1500 if you have a mechanic do it or $400 as a DIY using the best parts.

[RU88]

I've owned Corollas, Camrys, and Accords and can say that all were quality cars. My advice would be to go for a Toyota Camry. The seating is a little higher up than the Accord and the drive is a little more cushy. The 2009 Accord I currently own is a lot stiffer than the Camry but a little more responsive. It's really six of one or a half dozen of the other between Camry and Accord. Both high quality cars that will be dependable for years to come.