We are very seriously looking to trade our car this fall.. I presently drive a Chevrolet sonic that is a 2012 and it only has 43,000 kms (26,000 miles) on it.. It is in fabulous shape and nothing wrong with it.. I only do about 7 or 8 thousand kilometers a year which is nothing.. We find it a bit too small so we are looking at a mid size car.. I have been doing some research and asking around.. nobody has a bad word to say about the Kia which is the number 1 selling car in America at this time.. The prices of their car is awesomely cheap compared to the big 3.. I am also considering some Japanese cars that also are supposed to be good.. I am looking for only one thing in a new car and that is RELIABILITY.. This will most likely be the last car I will buy so it must last me till I stop driving.. Now, I was wondering if anyone could please give me some advice on perhaps what NOT to buy.. There are so many different choices out there that I am totally confused..
We bought our 2002 FORD EXPLORER in late 2001 and it's still in great shape. It's the perfect size for us. I only know KIA from their ads but they sound like they would be good. Check consumers report or similar site to see reviews.
Sheldon.. Something like the Explorer is a bit too bog for us but it is a good choice.. I did check with different Consumer Report people and they all say that the Kia is one of the most reliable vehicles on the road today.. The Chevrolet Sonic that I have at present was made in South Korea.. If I am going to buy a Korean car, why not buy the best and most reliable rather than something that is way overpriced and made in Korea with no reliability..
Here's reviews of all Kia models... there's quite a few different Models , and some of these may have a different model name in Canada but be the same car .... and regardless of high to low price most of them have just a fairly average rating.. https://www.carwow.co.uk/kia
I had a Kia Sportage, and I just loved that little vehicle ! It was one of the short ones with the canvas top; and I am sure that it is also smaller than what you are looking for, @Steve North ; but it was definitely a great little car, and the new one that @Ina I. Wonder has is a whole lot bigger vehicle than my little one was. Mine was similar to the small Chevy Trackers. If I were going to have another Kia, I would want one of the tiny ones again most likely; but I also like the Kia Soul, which is kind of like one of those boxy-looking vehicles, not quite a van, and not quite anything else either. Another really durable vehicle, and one that is perfect for a cold and snowy area, is a Subaru. You do not see them very often here in the South; but when I make a trip out to Idaho, every 3-4 cars is a Subaru. They get good gas mileage, and they seem to run forever, and many of them are 4x4, or at least FWD, so great for icy roads and snow. I like the ones that are like a small station wagon. They are large enough to haul a lot of items, and still small enough to be economical. Here is what the new 2018 Subaru Outback look like.
Hi @Steve North , My husband did a lot of research on vehicles the year before he died. He was worried about me getting stuck on the freeway with no one to called or able to help me. He made me promise to buy a new car so I could get a five year maintenance policy, and I also keep my AAA membership paid up. Michael had a 2005 Ford Explore, which I had been driving since my 1975 Chrysler Córdoba was stolen in 2010. That was a great SUV, but Michael willed it to my brother, so I pretty much had to purchase a new vehicle. Of course the big three were serious contenders, and the KIA was one of the smaller ones Michael had suggested. It was as expensive as one of the big three, but the reliability was the point that Michael chose to point out, and there is just something about a persons last wishes. So I bought a 2015 KIA Sportage, and after I drove from Texas to Alabama to visit @Yvonne Smith, I decided I really did like the way it handled, and the gas mileage is amazing. The smallness of the car was the hardest thing for me to get use to. I drove a big old Chrysler for 35 years.
@Steve North , my granddaughter has a Honda Accord that has over 250,000 miles on it and the only work that has ever been done is routine work and replace tires. I know you want a smaller car so you might check out the Honda Civic. Her DH just bought a new one and, boy, that thing is a thing of beauty. I know! I know! You aren't looking for beauty but if you can get beauty and reliability, it's win win situation.
I personally like toyotas I've had 5 over the last 30 years and they never let me down The one I had before buying the one I have now was a 1994 Corolla I did close to 300.000 km in it over the 17 years I had it and never spend a dollar in repairs on it ..Hubby always maintained it very well ..I sold it 2 years ago and still see it from time to time it's still going well
For obvious reasons, I would lean towards Toyotas. For long term reliability as in staying on the road for years and years... Corolla, Camry, Outback, Accord, Legacy, Taurus, Maxima. Those are high volume vehicles (Corolla- over 1M a year worldwide) with a slow and steady progression of changes to engines and drivetrains over the years. While I was taking a hard look at the Outback (AWD) or even the Corolla, my wife was taking a different view of both which was... dim. The Toyota plant in Cambridge, Ontario builds Corollas as well, if that sort of thing matters to you.
Last August we bought our second Kia, the first a second hand Kia Sephia that worked just great for over 14 years. Now we have a 2015 Kia Soul which we are enjoying. Kias come in alot of different sizes. They have a great warranty, plus roadside assistance. Many of their models have really good insurance ratings too. I did alot of research when we were looking for another car and this one will be our last one too. Depending on what size you need I would definitely at least check out the Kia models and see if one would work for y'all. Right now they are also giving free lifetime oil changes when you buy a brand new one.
So @Steve North Did you and your wife end up getting another vehicle...and if so....what kind did you end up buying?
Well Babs.. No..... We still have the Chevrolet Sonic.. It is a 2012 and it has a ton of options.. now, for a car that is 6 years old, it only has 50,000 kms which is 30,000 miles.. We are quite satisfied with it and it seems to suit our purpose.. At first, I found it a bit compact, but now we are making due with what we have.. Yes I would like something a bit larger, but there is a very big difference between "likes and wants".... For now, we will stick with what we have considering it is just like a new car... Hardly broken in...
I don't blame you one bit for keeping that Sonic @Steve North and it sounds like it will last you for a lot more years. Both of our vehicles were on their last legs mileage wise and all the work they needed was to costly...so a newer vehicle was a definite need for us. It's bad enough when your driving that you have to worry about your safety because of other drivers....but driving an unsafe car is just not something I want to add to that mix. And both our old vehicles had become unsafe to drive.
Babs.................... Been there and done that... Older cars can not only be unsafe, but expensive.. I realised many years ago that perhaps the cheapest way to own a safe and cheap car is to bite the bullet and get a new one or at least a newer one.. it will last you for years while enjoying the peace and safety..... All depends on the amount of mileage you do per year.. In my case, I barely do 10,000kms a year if not less than that.. My car should last me for years and years at that rate..
@Steve North We do less than 5000 miles per year...our insurance Company had a hard time believing that but they now know it's true since they ask for periodic readings on this. The year following the buying of our newer vehicle we did less than 3500. At this rate the car will outlive us.