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Messages Page 317 of 329

#3160 of 3289 Under 30 and got a car recently? by steve_ HOST

Mar 15, 2013 (1:54 pm)

A reporter would like to talk to someone under the age of 30 who bought a car within the last few months. Please reach out to predmunds.com by Wednesday, March 20, 2013 if you'd like to help.

#3161 of 3289 4-door sedan best for limited mobility by brendab1

Mar 16, 2013 (7:21 pm)

I'm looking for a new, full-size 4-door sedan for my father. The biggest concern is that he has had both a hip and knee replacement and needs extra room for his knee. In other words, in the Toyota Camry that he currently has, his right knee always bumps into the middle console. He used to have a Chevy Tahoe and loved the leg room, but for other reasons, he needs a sedan instead of an SUV, but one that has maximum room for the right knee.
 
$40,000 is the maximum he can spend, but he'd prefer something less expensive.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions?

#3162 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [brendab1] by sebring95

Mar 16, 2013 (8:39 pm)

Replying to: brendab1 (Mar 16, 2013 7:21 pm)
Finding something without a center console is the trick. That's getting to be almost impossible in the sedan world....the only new vehicle I can think of is the Impala. It is still available with a front bench seat on certain models....and might not be a bad option for him. They're not the greatest vehicles by a long shot...but if used as intended they can be decent. I had a rental not long ago and outside of the sloppy handling it was fairly comfortable, good power, and impressive mpg. It's not something I would pick on its own...but if I needed a comfortable sedan and had a knee issue...it might be at the top of the list.

#3163 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [brendab1] by igozoomzoom

Mar 16, 2013 (9:36 pm)

Replying to: brendab1 (Mar 16, 2013 7:21 pm)
I had a spinal fusion when I was 30 and they had to saw into my right hip to get 'bone material' for the procedure. It was either that or cadaver bone and the success rate was much lower if I used the stuff from a corpse. The surgeon told me that I would have periodic pain in my hip for the rest of my life, but I didn't give it another thought. I was far more concerned about him cutting my throat, retracting my esophagus, removing the damaged discs in my cervical spine and inserting the hip bone material and protein powder in place of the two damaged discs! The he capped it off by putting titanium plates over it all and securing them with two screws in each of the three vertebrae...fun stuff! Long story short, I'm 38 now and my right hip hurts like a SOB quite often, especially in the car! I'm 6'2" and the center console in my Mazda3 is rather confining, especially on longer drives! So I can only imagine what it's like for your dad...
 
The choices are very few, unfortunately.
 
As mentioned, the 2013 Impala LS and LT are available with a 40/20/40 bench seat as an option for $195. It isn't available with the Sunroof or LT Luxury Package, so that means no Leather and no power adjustments for the driver's seat. Also, the 2014 Impala is a new design, so the 2013 will soon be gone!
 
That is really the only sedan without a center console. I know you said an SUV no longer met his needs, but what about a minivan? The Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna both have high dash-mounted shifters that allows a break between the center console and the dash. It would allow a lot of extra right leg room!
 
One other oddball that I'll include for the sake of being thorough is the Nissan Cube. I certainly don't like it and I doubt a former Tahoe owner would be interested, but it has a very low center console (near the floor) so it's well below the lever the front seats. I believe it originally came with a column shifter, but I could be wrong.
 
Personally, I'd buy an Odyssey EX or EX-L...but I hope you find something that will work for him! =)

#3164 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [igozoomzoom] by plekto

Mar 17, 2013 (12:35 am)

Replying to: igozoomzoom (Mar 16, 2013 9:36 pm)
The 2011 Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS could be had with bench seats up front. They are much, much better cars than the Impala. Since you'd be looking at CPO cars, I doubt if you'd even spend close to $30K, let alone $40K.

#3165 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [plekto] by sebring95

Mar 17, 2013 (6:26 am)

Replying to: plekto (Mar 17, 2013 12:35 am)
Obviously if you start talking used there are are a few more options with bench seats. I would not say the Lucerne is "much, much better" than a '12 Impala. The powertrain difference alone would keep me in the more basic Impala. The Lucerne is very similar overall but has a few extra gizmos. Pass.
 
DTS is a nicer car if you can live with the performance to economy ratio being far less than many others. It's a shame the only options are antiques!!
 
I would be curious why a "sedan" is the only option. There are a couple cross-over type vehicles that might work...as mentioned the Soul. I'm thinking the CRV also has a lot more room up front.

#3166 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [sebring95] by plekto

Mar 18, 2013 (9:03 am)

Replying to: sebring95 (Mar 17, 2013 6:26 am)
I'd say that the Impala is a significant step down from the Lucerne or DTS. The V8 in both is a great combination with the transmission. The seats are much better, and there are a lot of extras added if you get the better trim models.
 
Most of all, though, is that the Lucerne CXS and DTS with the performance trim has the same electronic suspension as a Corvette, the Audi R8, and the Ferrari 599. The electromagnetic suspension on it is a drastic step up and makes it handle better than a typical GM car half it's size. It frankly drives as nicely as a S Class. The new Range Rover Evoke uses it as well. And of course, most of the Cadillac line.
 
And that's a world better than any Impala. Shockingly so in actual driving. It's a shame that GM isn't marketing it more aggressively or including it in all of their vehicles. These cars may be "antiques" in your mind, but the reality is that it's the Impala that's still using 1980s technology underneath that shiny exterior.
 
Lastly, a typical CPO DTS or Lucerne will have hardly any miles on it. It's not hard to find CPO models with 20K or less on them. That's really not even worth worrying about when there's 10K or more in savings on the table.

#3167 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [plekto] by sebring95

Mar 18, 2013 (9:23 am)

Replying to: plekto (Mar 18, 2013 9:03 am)
Last gen V8 with a 4-speed auto....ok I'll give you 90's tech. Impala has more HP from 3.6L and 6-speed auto...never mind much better fuel mileage.
 
And the bench seat isn't available in the CXS or Platinum DTS...so you're stuck with lower end models.....a very mediocre V6/4-speed combo on the Buick or plain jane lousy handling with the Caddy.
 
If you're stuck buying a mediocre car, you might as well buy the cheaper of them!

#3168 of 3289 Re: 4-door sedan best for limited mobility [sebring95] by plekto

Mar 18, 2013 (10:02 am)

Replying to: sebring95 (Mar 18, 2013 9:23 am)
I think the DTS with the performance option could be had with a bench seat. I'm not exactly sure about it, though. As for the engines, the Impala might make more hp at screaming high RPMs that would require you to literally be driving around town at 60mph in 2nd gear to achieve due to the mile-high gearing, but the V8s offer far more torque down low and as a result get in and out of traffic a lot better.
 
I'd say the DTS has a better interior by far, though, even in the base trim. As a bonus, the DTS has a terrible depreciation. It's closer to $30K for a 2011 model and that's great news for the original poster. $50K new and close to half that in three years. Problem solved and it's actually less than a new Impala. ($30K starting price, plus options?)
 
Add in lower initial registration and insurance as it's not "new", and you're looking at getting a Cadillac for Chevy prices. I'd call that an acceptable solution. But it's literally about the only one.
 
The comment about a crossover or small SUV (why only a sedan) does seem appropriate, though. A few small SUVs and crossovers have an open floorplan. Trucks do as well, as a rule, but most get terrible MPG (15 even on a good day as a rule). The Chevy Colorado gets car like mpg and has an open center console area, though. The Tacoma also does. Both drive a lot like cars now that they have gone to unibody construction.

#3169 of 3289 Honda Civic used vs Ford Focus new by skyl1

Mar 25, 2013 (6:17 pm)

Hi,
 
Long time site visitor, first time poster. I'm currently trying to decide between a couple of cars I've had my eye on to replace a 95' Acura that's not going to pass inspection due to rust. I would appreciate any feedback I could get on these three options. Below are the cars and the carfaxs.
 
The first is a 2005 Honda Civic EX - 87k miles - $7900
Carfax
This seems like my most practical choice and the one I'm leaning towards most.
 
The second is a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid - 147k miles - $10,517
Carfax
I don't know too much about the hybrids, but I'd like something with great gas mileage since I'll be using it for my daily commute. I'm just not sure about the high number of miles on this car.
 
The third is a brand new 2013 ford focus SE with winter package - $14715
 
The ford focus would be great, and I really enjoyed driving the 2012 as a rental over the summer, but it's definitely the priciest of the three options, and would be pretty tight in my budget since it would come to ~$17,500 after titles and fees etc.. plus it's the most expensive as far as insurance goes. My other reservation is I don't know how good it will be after I have it paid off, I don't want to end up servicing a lot later in it's life (after it gets past 100k miles).
 
Any help with deciding between these and any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks!

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