I'm in the market for a car. I have a '98 Ram right now which is great for what I need it for: hauling stuff. But, it sucks as a daily driver. I was working from home so it wasn't a big deal. But, now I'm at a new job back in the office. I also go up to the town the rest of my family is in quite often now that we moved closer and that's a 35 minute drive one way. One way takes about 1/8 of a tank and that's just not doable. It's also hard getting the kids in and out of that truck.
Anyway, I had an Optima a few years ago and thought of getting another one but then decided I don't want the hassle of their hit and miss engines. Thought about getting a Camry because I really like Toyotas. Had a Corolla that finally gave up just shy of 300k. But, I'm tall and and have back and knee issues which makes getting in one of those a lot harder than it used to be.
While talking to a friend because his son just bought a used Camry and finding out where he got it from, he recommended the Vibe. He used to have one and told me they were based on the Corolla with the Corolla engine. That got me interested. Before that Corolla, I had a '99 Prizm that my dad took over and he finally had to get rid of it after my mom threatened him because he had been in a couple accidents and had to get in from the passenger side. But, that thing ran strong and he hated to part with it.
So, I know those are good bodies and good engines so I looked to see what was around here and found an '05 with about 121k miles and what appears to be an immaculate engine. I'll try to post a picture or something. But if it's not here, it's because I forgot how to post pictures in a forum.
That's the intro. My biggest concern is going to be fit. Love the engine. Love the gas mileage. Love the cargo space. I'm 6'2" and a little overweight with back issues making getting in and out of most compact cars difficult (or anything low to the ground). I also have three young kids that would be in the backseat and are still in boosters (one is in a forward-facing carseat). My hope is that since it's a touch higher, it'll be easy for me to get in and be comfortable for driving (even long-distance), but also easy to get them in and out and for them to be comfortable. I know I'll probably have to put my seat all the way back, so hoping that whoever is behind me is okay on room. If any of y'all have thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
That engine: