Looking for $10k car for wife to drive.

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: earlyre
2008/2009 Taurus, Sable, or Taurus X( wagon)
Very comfortable, high ride position, handles very well for a boat of it's size, and returns almost 30mpg on the hwy. Very popular in my extended family. We have 3 of the wagons, and 2 sedans.

When I bought the sable, my insurance dropped significantly from what it was on the neon.



OP posted he wanted something with "modern amenities"......


From the actual original post:
Originally Posted By: JustinH

Her needs, she wants a car that is not "low to the ground", something "good on fuel economy", also "hands free cellular via bluetooth, audio streaming, and possibly XM radio".

She hates coupes. She prefers a hatch or 4 door car that has a higher center of gravity.


the models I suggested were available with all those boxes ticked. My Sable being one of them. it has the first Gen Sync system, which does bluetooth calling/audio streaming, and limited voice commands, and Sirius.
really the only reason i haven't replaced the stereo, is that this one...just works... once you figure out it's idiosyncrasies(it's a Ford/Microsoft co-venture after all..)

I seem to have similar "needs" and tastes to his wife.
I went from a 2005 Neon,(which was actually quite fun to drive, but just got to be too dang low) to my 2009 Sable. sits high enough, has twice the HP of the Neon(130 vs 263), gets roughly the same mileage as the neon did, is WAYYY safer(ABS, Traction control, 4 more airbags, more modern safety cell design, etc), and costs less to insure.

oh, and to the OP, you should be able to get more than $5k for the Matrix.
The Vibe(matrix cosplaying as a pontiac) in my sig is my buddies car. he bought it in 2010, with 127k, with an obious slapped back together, "that'll do" front end repair, for $5 grand. yours is probably in much better shape, and used car prices have gone up a fair bit.

 

[ls1mike]

There are 2012 and up Equinoxes in the price range.
Ours was good we really liked it. My wife just wanted a car.

The ones before 2012 had some timing chain issues.

Ours was VERY quiet and rode nice (2013). The 2.4 was adequate, but you have to understand that means for me.
Everyone else thought it had plenty of power.

The only really complaint I ever had about it was the shift points. We would average 30 to 32 mpg highway and around 22 in town
It had nice brakes and all the features you were looking for.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
There are 2012 and up Equinoxes in the price range.
Ours was good we really liked it. My wife just wanted a car.

The ones before 2012 had some timing chain issues.

Ours was VERY quiet and rode nice (2013). The 2.4 was adequate, but you have to understand that means for me.
Everyone else thought it had plenty of power.

The only really complaint I ever had about it was the shift points. We would average 30 to 32 mpg highway and around 22 in town
It had nice brakes and all the features you were looking for.


Rented one of theses for a week (drove it for the better part of 1,000 miles) and the wife and I were so impressed it's on the "short list" for the next vehicle.

 

[yesthatsteve]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Just replace the stock radio with the one which has BT. Seems rather strange that somebody would buy a whole new car just to get BlueTooth. Look at youtube to find the exact make and model of your existing vehicle and how to swap the head unit. Shop at Crutchfield and you can get the whole shebang shipped to you starting at $100. The expensive units (hopefully) will have better display but feature wise they would be similar.


Unless your wife really wants to get a new car, this is the solution. Crutchfield even has mounting kits that fit your vehicle's dash. I did it with an earlier car, and the whole thing cost me about $140 and worked nearly flawlessly.

On the other hand, if she really wants a new(er) car, then get a new(er) car. BT and XM are just excuses.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: yesthatsteve
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Just replace the stock radio with the one which has BT. Seems rather strange that somebody would buy a whole new car just to get BlueTooth. Look at youtube to find the exact make and model of your existing vehicle and how to swap the head unit. Shop at Crutchfield and you can get the whole shebang shipped to you starting at $100. The expensive units (hopefully) will have better display but feature wise they would be similar.


Unless your wife really wants to get a new car, this is the solution. Crutchfield even has mounting kits that fit your vehicle's dash. I did it with an earlier car, and the whole thing cost me about $140 and worked nearly flawlessly.

On the other hand, if she really wants a new(er) car, then get a new(er) car. BT and XM are just excuses.

I did it in the Trans Am, but that is not a daily and it is a niche vehicle...
Sometimes people just want something new.

 

[supton]

I understand the want for getting something new. It happens. Good luck.

But I'll pile onto the "just buy a new radio" bandwagon. I bought a cheapie Pioneer from Walmart for $78, and paid like $27 for the wiring kit and the single DIN cubbyhole (probably could have saved a few bucks if I got the last two off Amazon). I skipped the CD player as I had a USB thumb drive, and just ripped all my CD's to it. It's better than I thought: BT mic got jammed into the headliner, out of the way; FM tuner works better than the old radio. I can easily skim through my music (granted it was a small collection).

Depending upon where you look you might wind up buying a new radio anyhow. The OEM unit in my Tundra does all of what that Pioneer unit does--but the Pioneer has a better readout. My 2011 Camry has only a so-so radio, and lacks BT, and I don't look forward to replacing it so as to get BT.

Also, 100k isn't that much for miles, struts and alignment is kinda cheap money, compared to the $7k you are looking to spend (ish). Too bad you missed October's quickstrut rebate.

Still, I get the allure for new. Sorry I can't recommend anything, that's not a market I've been keeping an eye on. Just drive a bunch, hit up a few lots, and be prepared to simply walk even if the salesguy attempts to get pushy. Some cars sound great--on paper, then you drive and find some glaring issue which kills it as an option. Hit the lots, try out a number, then if you want to, then look at private sales.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: supton
I understand the want for getting something new. It happens. Good luck.

But I'll pile onto the "just buy a new radio" bandwagon. I bought a cheapie Pioneer from Walmart for $78, and paid like $27 for the wiring kit and the single DIN cubbyhole (probably could have saved a few bucks if I got the last two off Amazon). I skipped the CD player as I had a USB thumb drive, and just ripped all my CD's to it. It's better than I thought: BT mic got jammed into the headliner, out of the way; FM tuner works better than the old radio. I can easily skim through my music (granted it was a small collection).

Depending upon where you look you might wind up buying a new radio anyhow. The OEM unit in my Tundra does all of what that Pioneer unit does--but the Pioneer has a better readout. My 2011 Camry has only a so-so radio, and lacks BT, and I don't look forward to replacing it so as to get BT.

Also, 100k isn't that much for miles, struts and alignment is kinda cheap money, compared to the $7k you are looking to spend (ish). Too bad you missed October's quickstrut rebate.

Still, I get the allure for new. Sorry I can't recommend anything, that's not a market I've been keeping an eye on. Just drive a bunch, hit up a few lots, and be prepared to simply walk even if the salesguy attempts to get pushy. Some cars sound great--on paper, then you drive and find some glaring issue which kills it as an option. Hit the lots, try out a number, then if you want to, then look at private sales.
I've got a Pioneer in my Camry too. I was disappointed with sound quality until I turned "Loudness" on High. Just a heads up.

 

[supton]

Hmm, hadn't noticed any issue, was plug and play, well once I figured out the wiring (the manual was absolutely useless). I don't recall changing any menu setting, just paired my radio and been happy. Maybe I set fader, that was probably it.

 

[Vikas]

are you guys disappointed with being able to read the display when it is bright out? None of the OEM radios ever have that kind of problem but almost all after market do.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
are you guys disappointed with being able to read the display when it is bright out? None of the OEM radios ever have that kind of problem but almost all after market do.


Ironically I have that problem in my Tundra, with its OEM radio, but not this Pioneer unit. My Tundra will dim all the dash lights when I turn on the headlights. So today, while driving in the snow, I couldn't read the radio. Ok, it's a small thing to just adjust the dash backlight, it's not something incredibly bad; but still. I'm quite happy with it.

Poor picture of mine. I liked the blue setting that it came with; it has a bunch of color settings, and probably can do one for the display and a different one for the buttons. Pioneer MVH-380BT although the MVH-381BT is the same thing. That wire running up the dash is not the mic cable, it's the power cord for the GPS. I can try later on to get a better pic from the driver's actual view.

 

[RooflessVW]

How about a Volvo S80 V8?

Toys, room, power, AWD... It's the next car on my list.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
How about a Volvo S80 V8?

Toys, room, power, AWD... It's the next car on my list.

[off-topic]
i thought you like wagons....
how about a "Paul Newman" V8 wagon?
[/off-topic]

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
are you guys disappointed with being able to read the display when it is bright out? None of the OEM radios ever have that kind of problem but almost all after market do.
Yeah I'm not too thrilled. Mine is the DEH-150MP. I like the radio but when it's bright it isn't so easy to see.

They went on clearance recently (probably an old model) and I put one in the Jeep too so I have 2 of them.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
How about a Volvo S80 V8?

Toys, room, power, AWD... It's the next car on my list.

[off-topic]
i thought you like wagons....
how about a "Paul Newman" V8 wagon?
[/off-topic]


Since we're side-barring here...

If I had to choose one "forever car," yes, it would be an ///M5 wagon.

Since I don't have to choose a forever car, my next one will be a big Volvo sedan with a Yamaha V8.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
How about a Volvo S80 V8?

Toys, room, power, AWD... It's the next car on my list.


I've been stalking Swedespeed forums. I've always had this car on my radar since it was introduced.
Only part that scares me is the price of those 4C struts. Roughly $350USD/corner with a steep discount from the dealer. Funny hearing of owners trying to afford the repairs on these magnificent machines.

For that price I can purchase a full SVT suspension upgrade for my dd Focus.

I'd rather over-maintain a cheap car, than under-maintain an expensive car.

 

[JTK]

C'mon, say it ain't so. JustinH, the King of thrift wants to do this? (Kidding!)

Like said, that 2008 Matrix is a gem in terms of long term low cost. Boring and not so luxurious? Heck yes.

Sure, like said, you could probably find a Kia Soul with ~30K miles for the $12K all-in figure, but other than that, $12K is going to buy you something with miles on it, that's going to need struts and a 4-wheel alignment at some point too.

 

[JustinH]

Originally Posted By: JTK
C'mon, say it ain't so. JustinH, the King of thrift wants to do this? (Kidding!)

Like said, that 2008 Matrix is a gem in terms of long term low cost. Boring and not so luxurious? Heck yes.

Sure, like said, you could probably find a Kia Soul with ~30K miles for the $12K all-in figure, but other than that, $12K is going to buy you something with miles on it, that's going to need struts and a 4-wheel alignment at some point too.


Ha, I will retain my title as king of thrift.

Just purchased 4 quick struts for the matrix, and two balljoints. One was leaking, the other had a ripped boot.

Mechanic is going to install everything in a couple weeks.

Purchased a 4 wheel alignment package on groupon from a good shop near our house, with balance and rotate of tires.

My wife decided that she is going to keep the car, we are going to swap out the headunit, and put new headlamps on it.

She did say that she wanted a new floor in the kitchen and bathrooms, so I made sure to get to the floor store to have a measurement done.

Thanks all.

 

[JTK]

^^^ My Man!

 

[yesthatsteve]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
are you guys disappointed with being able to read the display when it is bright out? None of the OEM radios ever have that kind of problem but almost all after market do.


The JVC unit I put in my last car was fine in daylight, and auto-adjusted brightness depending on ambient light levels.

 

[JustinH]

Originally Posted By: yesthatsteve
Originally Posted By: Vikas
are you guys disappointed with being able to read the display when it is bright out? None of the OEM radios ever have that kind of problem but almost all after market do.


The JVC unit I put in my last car was fine in daylight, and auto-adjusted brightness depending on ambient light levels.


When you wire the harness there is a wire for dimmer.

Most headunits do not use the dimmer wire anymore. You will need to find a headunit that uses the dimmer wire. The last three headunits I installed did not have dimmer wire, so I capped the dimmer off and tied it aside.