Spent the day test driving

[jimincalif]

Spent the whole day looking at cars and test driving. My 93 Lexus is giving me some trouble, so I'm considering alternatives. Have to figure out if I want to buy something less expensive and plan to pass it down to one of the kids, or go a bit more upscale for my own enjoyment. Here is what we looked at:2008 Honda CR-V - nice car, smooth, lots of room, about $23K for the EX 2WD.2009 Vibe - drove an AWD version, 2.4 auto. The dealer had like 4 AWDs and one GT auto. Why so many AWDs here in S. California makes no sense to me. I like the new Vibe, they did good in evolving the next generation. Power with the 2.4 is great, while they kept the concept and feel of the original Vibe. I think the sticker on this was $21K or $22K. 2008 Pontiac Solstice - Did not drive it, as not enough headroom, my head is against the roof.2008 Mazda 3 - looked at it, did not drive it. Very similar to the Vibe in size, seems a bit better priced than the Vibe at $18,500. 2008 Mazda Miata - had to try it on, alas, I don't fit, like the Solstice I sit too tall and my head is against the roof.2008 Infiniti G35 Sedan - Nice car, I drove one without the preferred package as that's the only way to get without sunroof (headroom issues again). Has the electronic shift auto, fun, but not a MT experience.2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe - again, no sunroof. Very nice, similar to the sedan but a bit sportier. Of course styling difference is huge, coupe just looks more aggressive. Again about $35K. 2007 Infiniti G35 coupe - 6MT. Very different car than the G37, it is the prior model, less refined, more of a sports car. Has the sports package so suspension is stiffer. Seat bottoms are tighter on the sides. Love the feel of the manual transmission, but the G37 with auto is more refined and might be nicer to live with day in and day out. Sticker again around $35K but they will deal, they have 3 2007 6MTs left over.2004 Porsche Boxster. A sports car I fit in! Was fun, drove both top up and top down. Stiffer ride than anything else today, 5MT, about 40K miles on it. Would be fun as a weekend car, but I don't know about living with it day-to-day. Hard to fold my 50yr old 230# 6' 2" body into it.2008 Lexus ES350 - tried it on, did not drive. Not enough headroom and no option to get without a sunroof.2008 Toyota RAV4 2.4l - very similar to the CR-V. Drivetrain probably not quite as smooth as the CR-V, it looks a bit longer overall. Prefer the CR-V lift hatch to the RAV swing out gate.The sales lady at the Pontiac store wanted to make me a great deal on a used Mustang. But if I want a car I have to Fix Or Repair Daily, might as well keep the Lexus.No decisions yet, it was a long day. Have to decide what sort of car to focus on. My practical side says fix the Lexus or get the CR-V. I really like the G37 coupe. The leftover 07 G35 coupe is bright red (my favorite) and with the 6MT a great combo. But my wife doesn't want a MT (I bought my 03 Vibe GT over her objections).One other observation. 90% of new cars (regardless of brand) are either black, white or some variant of gray/silver. What's up with that? Like when I was a kid with black and white TV.

[AKLGT]

wow. that's a busy day of test drives!

[scott_h]

Have you considered a Nissan Murano? I've had mine for just under a year, and absolutely love it. The redesigned 2009 model just came out and has a lot of new techie options (satellite navigation, bluetooth, ipod interface, etc). I bought my '06 1 year old with about 12,000 miles.They're a little more, but it looks like you have a few higher priced options on your list.

[WaveAction]

what about something like the gmc acadia/buick enclave ..or the murano as scott_h mentioned and the infinity version of it..depends on what u want..crossover..car..truck..theirs so many options it's hard to say

[Sputnik]

Quote, originally posted by scott_h »Have you considered a Nissan Murano? I've had mine for just under a year, and absolutely love it. The redesigned 2009 model just came out and has a lot of new techie options (satellite navigation, bluetooth, ipod interface, etc). I bought my '06 1 year old with about 12,000 miles.They're a little more, but it looks like you have a few higher priced options on your list.Or how about a Nissan Rogue?? Great on fuel, plus "techie options." And comparable to the Rav 4 and CRV which you did test drive.

[jimincalif]

There are a lot of options, and I will go to the Nissan dealer. Murano might be a bit bigger than what I want, and I know someone who has one and doesn't like the CVT. Rogue - I need to look at it. I am skeptical of first model year Nissans though. My wife's 04 Quest build quality is poor.

[Sputnik]

Quote, originally posted by jimincalif »There are a lot of options, and I will go to the Nissan dealer. Murano might be a bit bigger than what I want, and I know someone who has one and doesn't like the CVT. Rogue - I need to look at it. I am skeptical of first model year Nissans though. My wife's 04 Quest build quality is poor. Interesting. I think my Rogue's build quality is much better than my Vibe's was. Rogue also has the CVT and while its a bit different, I've gotten used to it.

[Mavrik]

shame on you... should have tested a subaru.

[jimincalif]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »shame on you... should have tested a subaru. Aren't they all AWD? Don't really need that in SoCal. My sister in Oregon has a Forester.

[tangerine]

AWD is for more than just snow .Greatly improves your handling in all areas. I miss nailing the curves with AWD.

[AKLGT]

there are more active Subaru owners in SoCal than most regions. You wouldn't think it, but there are sooooo many! and yes, the handling on AWD is amazing compared to any FWD vehicle I've ever owned.