With our kids grown and no real need to keep the minivan, the wife and I are thinking about eventually replacing our '03 MPV. I think we'd probably want to replace it with something that's at least partially as utilitarian as the minivan, only somewhat smaller, and hopefully something that gets better fuel economy.
I think a car is out of the question, but I do think a crossover would fill the bill. The one that's really grabbed my eye recently is the 2011 Kia Sportage. It's a very attractive vehicle inside and out, and it seems to be just about the perfect size for us. There are a couple of things that have me concerned though. We have had nothing but Japanese built vehicles in the family now for almost the last 10 years. My wife has the MPV, myself and my daughter drive Corollas, and my oldest daughter drives a Civic. All have been very reliable vehicles. Having never owned a Korean built vehicle, I'm concerned about how well these vehicles will hold up over the long haul. I've read many good comments about Korean vehicles by owners in forums, and they seem to get pretty good reviews in the magazine tests, but are they really built as well and are as reliable as Japanese vehicles? The last thing I want is to end up with buyer's remorse because of an unreliable vehicle. Since my wife will be the primary driver, I can't have the thing breaking down and leaving her stranded. We would just stick with Japanese vehicles, but they don't seem to currently have any vehicles that are as appealing (unless there are some models I'm overlooking, which is possible).
My other concern is fuel economy. Something doesn't look quite right about the EPA's estimated fuel economy for the Sportage. The Sportage is roughly 700 lbs. lighter than the MPV, and it has a 4 cylinder engine, compared the MPV's v-6, and yet it's only rated for 21 MPG city. Our MPV gets 19 city. One would think the mileage for the Sportage would be considerably better than that of the MPV given the differences in weight and engine size.
We also like the Hyundai Tucson, though not as much as the Sportage, and again, I have the same concerns about this vehicle as I do the Sportage. I'm probably overlooking comparable vehicles by other makes, and please voice your suggestions if you have them, but only vehicles that are comparable in size, price, and fuel economy (even better fuel economy would be great!)
I think a car is out of the question, but I do think a crossover would fill the bill. The one that's really grabbed my eye recently is the 2011 Kia Sportage. It's a very attractive vehicle inside and out, and it seems to be just about the perfect size for us. There are a couple of things that have me concerned though. We have had nothing but Japanese built vehicles in the family now for almost the last 10 years. My wife has the MPV, myself and my daughter drive Corollas, and my oldest daughter drives a Civic. All have been very reliable vehicles. Having never owned a Korean built vehicle, I'm concerned about how well these vehicles will hold up over the long haul. I've read many good comments about Korean vehicles by owners in forums, and they seem to get pretty good reviews in the magazine tests, but are they really built as well and are as reliable as Japanese vehicles? The last thing I want is to end up with buyer's remorse because of an unreliable vehicle. Since my wife will be the primary driver, I can't have the thing breaking down and leaving her stranded. We would just stick with Japanese vehicles, but they don't seem to currently have any vehicles that are as appealing (unless there are some models I'm overlooking, which is possible).
My other concern is fuel economy. Something doesn't look quite right about the EPA's estimated fuel economy for the Sportage. The Sportage is roughly 700 lbs. lighter than the MPV, and it has a 4 cylinder engine, compared the MPV's v-6, and yet it's only rated for 21 MPG city. Our MPV gets 19 city. One would think the mileage for the Sportage would be considerably better than that of the MPV given the differences in weight and engine size.
We also like the Hyundai Tucson, though not as much as the Sportage, and again, I have the same concerns about this vehicle as I do the Sportage. I'm probably overlooking comparable vehicles by other makes, and please voice your suggestions if you have them, but only vehicles that are comparable in size, price, and fuel economy (even better fuel economy would be great!)
