What car should I buy?

[Lola Bunny]

My 20 yrs. old car is really creaky, and I'm afraid it'll fall apart soon. So, I'm looking around for a new car. When it breaks down, I'd know what I want and go out to get it. Rather than asking only Jim, trusting he knows a lot about cars , I thought I'll put it here to see what everyone else thinks.

I'm thinking between the Camry or the Altima. As for the Camry, I'm looking at the LE or SE. What one do you think is better? As for the Altima, I'm looking at the 2.5S. I'm looking for another dependable, stable car that'll last me for 20+ years. If you want to suggest another car, I'm willing to spend around the price range of a Camry or Altima.

[AmandaH&K]

The camry & altima are both very good cars & i dont think you'd go wrong with either of them. I'd suggest that whatever you get, get the best you can reasonably afford. Sounds like you'll hold on to the car for many, many years & you want something that has all the bells & whistles that you would want. I've had my car for 7 years now & i wish i had gotten all the bells & whistles i could've. Jim & i have actually had this discussion as i've been dreaming of my next brand new car.

To add another option to the camry or altima, have you looked at a subaru legacy? Comparable in size & price as both camry & altima. I own an impreza & i still love it 7 years later! Ask jim, he says i should be working for subaru since i can't say enough good things about them! They're extremely reliable & dependable & hold their value well. They're all wheel drive all the time so you have more control & really feel the tires gripping the road. You know when you drive through a puddle on a highway & you feel the tire slip? Doesn't happen in a subaru! They use boxer engines, which means it's horizontally opposed so the center of gravity is lower than most other vehicles. This makes going around turns so much fun! I'm at 105,000 miles & (knock on wood) haven't had any issues at all. Just regular maintenance. Ok, i could really go on forever but i'll spare you... I'd highly suggest taking a subaru out for a test drive & see what you think! Good luck!

[glatt]

In the 2014 Consumer Reports buyers guide, the Camry LE scores better than the Altima 2.5, but both are recommended cars. Consumer Reports also loves Subaru as a brand.

Here's the pages for mid sized sedans. They think the $29k Camry hybrid XLE is best overall in that class.

[Undertoad]

Consumer Reports gives the Legacy an average owner satisfaction rating Amanda so stop being so satisfied with it…! ‼

[xoxoxoBruce]

But UT, Amanda is above average.

[Gravdigr]

I know an Altima owner who absolutely loves her Altima. Over 200,000 miles and as reliable as the sunrise.

She's been looking for a year for another Altima the right color/price/mileage, and swears she'll have nothing else.

ETA: She's keeping the old one, too.

[Sundae]

Buy a white one, Lola.
You'll look cute in it.

[Gravdigr]

She'd look cute driving a pile of dogshit.

[Lola Bunny]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

She'd look cute driving a pile of dogshit.

Ewww...I don't think anyone would look cute in dogshit. :-/

[Lola Bunny]

There's this lady who's been telling me to buy a new car and sell the current one to her.

[Lola Bunny]

Originally Posted by Sundae

Buy a white one, Lola.
You'll look cute in it.

I probably will buy a white car. My current one is white too.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Lola Bunny

I'm thinking between the Camry or the Altima. As for the Camry, I'm looking at the LE or SE. What one do you think is better? As for the Altima, I'm looking at the 2.5S.

SE and LE is mostly about peripherals and colors. How much do you want to spend on the stereo, GPS map system, fancier floor mats, etc.

As others demonstrate, start with Consumer Reports. Then what others are saying will not be overlooked or misunderstood.

Do not waste money on a six cylinder engine or turbo. Those are mostly for the naive who drove, for example, GM (Chevy) cars. And then suffered obsolete technology and balky engines. Better quality and engineering goes into the automaker's benchmark engines - the four cylinder.

View Consumer Report's recommendations and previous year history for each cars. Important facts are in every April issue. All discussed models have a reliable history. But again, never take anyone's word for it. Read it yourself to learn what details are more important.

Also read Consumer Report's page entitled "Used Cars to Avoid". That further illustrates which cars have had 'lesser' histories.

Also view history for the many Chevy models. To appreciate why your considerations are superior and what some consumers (and reporters) foolishly called reliable.

Do not get deceived by an all-wheel drive myth. All wheel drive means getting started easier. To do that, all wheels must fight each other once you get moving; resulting in less stability and control at higher speeds. That means increased tire wear, less gas mileage, and higher costs. Some all-wheel drive models add expensive computers to reduce those problems. If working the farm, then you might need all-wheel drive for the driveway. But all-wheel drive only increases safety and handling in advertising myths.

Why do rental fleets buy white cars? They are statistically safest. The car hardest to see in inclement weather is red. Another critically important feature is orange (not red) rear turn signals. Cars with red rear signals are more often hit because red cannot be easily seen in snow, sleet, heavy rain, fog, etc. Orange cuts through bad weather resulting in increased safety.

[zippyt]

My step daughter SWEARS by Altimas ,
her first was an ex rental car ,
she drove the HELL out of that thing (300,000+ miles ) ,
I NEVER had to come rescue her .

Plus Toyotas have TINY steering wheels ,

Just my 2 cents

[orthodoc]

I have had nothing but the best experience with Toyotas. Bought a Tercel in 1986, back when it came with optional 4-wheel drive - drove it into the ground 15 years later with more than 200,000 miles on it. We similarly drove a Corolla into the ground over 15+ years, and currently own a basic level Camry that will not give up, and a 2005 4Runner that is my 'baby' - it's in Colorado now but will come back east in 2014 with 170,000 miles on it, still going strong. I love and recommend Toyotas. They are reliable, dependable, honest cars.

[Big Sarge]

Lola - buy yourself a bright red convertible and let the wind blow through your head