Monday, January 9, 2012

Car Shopping..

I graduate from college in May and could not be MORE excited! I plan to keep my car for awhile, but will be ready to start really looking this fall/winter. I somewhat have an idea of what I want. Here is  a list of items I am looking for when I get ready to buy:
1.SUV. Nothing against cars, but I love having an SUV. I drove a car in high school and was SICK of it by the time I got rid of it. I have a SUV now and love it! Granted, it is more expensive when it comes to gas, but I'll get to that later...

2. Gas..There are so many options when buying a car now. I want to find a SUV that is great on gas mileage. Hybrid? What is the best kind to buy?? I hear that Tahoe's are a gas guzzler?? Should I stay away from the Tahoe's??

3. Quality..I plan to buy a brand that has a good reputation...I don't want to take my car in to get the oil changed, and $450.00 later, I'm broke....Just from talking around, Toyota, Lexus, Volvo, Honda, etc. are great brands to buy. They last! They have great service and are not too expensive to work on. I have not heard much about BMW or Mercedes, but if you have any great advice on either, I'd love to hear!

4. Smooth Drive...I want a SMOOTH driving car. I want to get in and feel like I'm floating on air. Is that possible?? ha! My SUV is NOT smooth...What are some SUV'S I need to stay away from when it comes to smoothness?? What SUV'S DO drive smooth?!

Those four things are ALL things I will take into consideration when I get ready to buy...If you reccomend anything else, feel free to email me or send me a comment! Here are several cars that are on the top of my list:

1. Toyota Highlander

2. Lexus RX 350. This is my favorite.
I have heard wonderful things about this SUV.

3. Acura MDX. I don't know much about
Acura, but if you do, send me some advice!
I love the way this car looks!

4. Volvo XC90...I love these! I have heard
GREAT things about them, and I have several
friends that drive them. I think they get pretty good
gas mileage, too.


If you rec. me to look at any other cars, let me know! :) I can't wait to start looking!!!!

20 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm definitely a SUV girl too! :)

Suburban prep said...

Give a look at the Honda CR-V. I have had two and love them. The first one I had went to my parents who liked it. I bought a second one and I recently gave that one to my husband as his "Winter" car. (He drives a Camero during the Summer or nice weather months). I now drive a Chevrolet Equinox. It is a steady safe car. I do not have kids (Health reasons) but I do drive my nieces and nephews and my parents around in my car A LOT.
I would have stayed with the CR-V but because of the fact that my husband needed a car and that Honda was not coming out with the new 2012 CR-V when I needed I went with the Equinox.

Kelly said...

I have a nissan murano and I love it. My hubby has a Tahoe and as much as he wants to downsize to a smaller SUV I think we'll just be upgrading to a newer one. If we could afford it we would both have Tahoes! Good Luck car shopping. We'll be doing the same thing this fall!

Stephanie said...

I had the Acura MDX before my Volvo XC90 and I really miss my Acura. But Acura is the luxury line of Honda Motor Company and I love Honda's so maybe that's why I loved my Acura so much. Not sure what I will get after my Volvo but we will probably trade it in sometime in 2013. Thinking about the Honda Pilot because it is bigger and seats 8 which comes in handy with all the rug rats.

noone said...

nice picks, I have an acura and so far it hasn't giving me any issues and I've had it for 3 years... however my friend's bmw has been giving him electrical problems only after a year and half

New Jersey Belle said...

as much as I love my SUV ( mitsubishi montero sport.. it was my first car) the gas thing does really hurt your pocket. Just make sure to get a smaller cylinder car ( mine's a V8, ugh.) But I LOVE the lexus.

Leslie said...

No car advice, but it looks like you've thought it all out! Thanks for commenting on my blog; it lead me to yours!

Sarah said...

Ohh...love that Lexus!!!

Georgia Glam said...

Hi!! I just came across your blog from Jimmy Choo's and Tennis Shoes :) Loving it so far!!! I don't have an SUV but I do have a Mercedes and oil changes are pricy! Whether the car takes regular or synthetic oil makes the difference. Also, premium gas is a consideration! I had a Honda before this car and while it was cheaper to maintain I wouldn't trade it for the world!! My friend drives a new XC90 and she loves it! (I love it too!!!) If you are you are going to purchase a brand new car, pick a brand that has Zero Cost Maintenance (like BMW). Happy car shopping :)

Chicago Mom (Heather) said...

My brother in law has that Volvo and he LOVES it. Get that one! :-)

henning love said...

my pick is the toyota highlander!! my parents had toyotas growing up and their up keep is minimal! my husband and i own a toyota right, the prius, so go with the toyota but then again this is a very biased opinion :-)

Amanda said...

Good luck with the car shopping! Toyota Highlanders come in Hybrids. My parents have the Lexus 400h, and it's a REALLY smooth ride. I'm used to driving my little Audi though, so it feels a lot heavier, but also VERY safe. My mom has a super short commute, so she only fills up her tank every few weeks...

Morgan Neal said...

I've heard a lot of stuff about electrical problems in bmw's but I'm so in love with the volvo. But my grandpa has a lexus and it is the best thing ever. Good luck. We will also be car shopping in the fall. Hello!

Mrs. Mama said...

i purchased my first real car my second semester of my senior year of college... it was so much fun car shopping!

Jenny Beth said...

Car aficionado here. no seriously. all you are considering are great options. the toyota is a great car gets great gas mileage and has tons of options to it. The lexus is equally as great but the price tag is more due to it being a luxury vehicle. dont know much about the mdx but i do know you rarely see used ones for sale which means ppl buy and keep them for a while. I was raised in volvos and have personally owned 2. i LOVE volvo. They are known to have minor electrical problems. ie i would have to replace the headlamp bulb about every 4ish months. sometimes is a 10$ fuse fix but the bulbs only cost $8.00. i just had a guy at auto zone show me how to replace them so I didnt have to rely on a man to do it. They are truly built to last and you will have them forever (as are the toyota and lexus) However do know oil changes cost about 65-100 bucks each time. Parts are not cheap and sometimes when stuff has to be ordered it takes a while to fix them. all things to consider.

I would STEAR CLEAR from BMW. They are NOT well made cars, they get good gas mileage but you are also importing parts and they are KNOWN to be in the shop for lots of $$ and very often. My dad has owned close to 40 cars in his life and the one he owned the shortest were bmw and mercedes. the mercedes had a random incident where the rear window rolled down and fell off the track. not too big of a deal right?? wrong. 1,200 bucks later he had a new window motor!! WTF?? right?? i have heard the parts for mercedes have decreased since all mercedes suv's in the us are now being produced in the tuscaloosa alabama plant. email me if you have any more questions. happy to help any way I can.

Ashley said...

I could never drive a car either! I love my SUV, bank-breaking and all!

I think all of your possible choices are good options and I have heard good thing about them too! I like the VOLVO! IT is literally the only car I have ever had on my mind to buy when I have money. Silver or black please!

Newest follower :)

emilia morgan said...

My two cents says think twice about a Toyota. Although they are very good vehicles they are but on a truck base as opposed to a car base and therefore don't have a very smooth ride. (John has a 4 Runner and I'm not a fan!)

Nik said...

I drive a Lexus RX 400 and I am SO happy with it. I know its better on gas because it's a hybrid though. But worth the extra money for us anyways. I really think you would love a Lexus. The drive is so smooth. I just love her :)

Good luck on your car search!

xoNS

www.athoughtinthemindof.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

yay for car shopping!!Love the blog :)

your newest follower :)

http://www.angela2bunnie.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I LOVE my Lincoln MKX.