5-8k best road trip car for baby and dog

[Tahoe4Life]

Originally Posted By: UncleDave
FORD 4 life -what year would you be referring to she could get a 25 MPG suburban or tahoe for 5-8K ?

I had a 2001 suburban with a 5.3 and it wouldn't get 20 if I drove it off the side of the matterhorn, 25 MPG ? - My RX400H hybrid gets that in mixed driving.


UD




The 2015 and 2016. My 2016 Tahoe does that. I also had several 2015 Suburban rentals [before I bought my 2016 Hoe] and they all got 25 MPG on the highway. I take a lot of road trips. This is also with the a/c on constantly. I am also gentle taking off at red lights and use the cruise control a lot. I usually set the CC at 73 the bulk of the time out there on the highway. If it is all stop and go I get around 16 MPG.

My bad!! I thought you were taking a 5-8K mile road trip. Sorry!!

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted By: FORD4LIFE
Originally Posted By: UncleDave
FORD 4 life -what year would you be referring to she could get a 25 MPG suburban or tahoe for 5-8K ?

I had a 2001 suburban with a 5.3 and it wouldn't get 20 if I drove it off the side of the matterhorn, 25 MPG ? - My RX400H hybrid gets that in mixed driving.


UD




The 2015 and 2016. My 2016 Tahoe does that. I also had several 2015 Suburban rentals [before I bought my 2016 Hoe] and they all got 25 MPG on the highway. I take a lot of road trips. This is also with the a/c on constantly. I am also gentle taking off at red lights and use the cruise control a lot. I usually set the CC at 73 the bulk of the time out there on the highway. If it is all stop and go I get around 16 MPG.

My bad!! I thought you were taking a 5-8K mile road trip. Sorry!!


a 2016 with cylinder deactivation is not a vehicle the OP was willing to write a check for.

Still I have hard time believing you can average 25 over say 1K 2K miles but maybe you have the magic touch.

Does the vehicle show an average over a number of miles on the dash ?

My Lexus got 25 over 6400 miles Id be curious to see what your average is over 6K.

(I loved my suburban)

UD

 

[FutureDoc]

To Kracken

If you want a cheap, fairly reliable highway car for kids/geat ect that gets great gas mileage...

Kia Rondo.

Stay with me... don't glaze over. These are undervalued cars. They are basically Optima wagons.

You can find these all day with sub 40-60K and for less than $6-7K. Resale is meh as they are not popular but this is the advantage of the initial purchase price.

Fuel economy can reliably eek over 30mpg on the highway with the 2.4L 4-banger which is the late 00s Hyundai Theta engine. Good engine. Get 160ish bhp and torques. I bet it would get about 20-25% more on the highway than the Sienna. It is based on the Optima platform which makes it a good ride. Basically,it is an optima with a giant bubble passenger compartment. It is also why it has a very good (for the type of vehicle) handling characteristics.


Now, it also has the 2.7L V6 with a 5-speed auto. If you want the V6, you can lose a few MPG but only get a 20bhp/torques upgrade so I would keep to the I4. That 2.7 was not all that refined and on its way to be retired. Warning, these are timing belt vehicles (at least the V6 is) so make sure you read up there.

 

[FutureDoc]

Originally Posted By: UncleDave


I have never heard anyone describe any generation prius as the "best road trip car for baby and a dog" or any similar arrangement - maybe for saving gas money, but not for ride comfort and utility on a road trip.


Actually the Gen 2 Prius was very good as a road trip car, especially in the back seat. I used to drive from SC to DC for work in a 2005 Prius (with a few folks in the car) and being 6'3", being in the back of the car for 8 hours was no big deal. Other than an old caddy, it had fantastic use of rear leg room. Ride was acceptable/gopod. The seats were better in that generation too. New Prius seats stink. Utility was more than we needed with 4-5 people traveling for 3-7 days of kit. It is a lot better vehicle than a Suburban for a roadtrip... in just ride comfort alone.

Best road trip car: 1991 Cadillac DeVille w/4.9 V8. I got 33MPG on the highway from Knoxville to Richmond (thus over the mountains) and only 30mpg on the way back. Now, you are not cruising at 75-80mpg but "back in the day with Va's speed limits of 65 and troopers around every rise, you go 65 and forget about making time. It was like driving a lazy-boy across Va/Tn.

Other than that, my MR2 is fantastic. It is hard, stiff short wheelbase, no cruise control, 90% seating angle, engine drones/roars on at 3,750-4,000rpms at modest highway speeds, and it only has 1.5cuft (not a typo, one-point-five cubic feet.... no trunk, just a cubby behind the seats) of storage space... however, the top goes down, you can take side-roads at speed and you get to tell the significant other to leave EVERYTHING behind... like clothes, etc. Great for the honeymoon.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
To Kracken

If you want a cheap, fairly reliable highway car for kids/geat ect that gets great gas mileage...

Kia Rondo.

Stay with me... don't glaze over. These are undervalued cars. They are basically Optima wagons.

You can find these all day with sub 40-60K and for less than $6-7K. Resale is meh as they are not popular but this is the advantage of the initial purchase price.

Fuel economy can reliably eek over 30mpg on the highway with the 2.4L 4-banger which is the late 00s Hyundai Theta engine. Good engine. Get 160ish bhp and torques. I bet it would get about 20-25% more on the highway than the Sienna. It is based on the Optima platform which makes it a good ride. Basically,it is an optima with a giant bubble passenger compartment. It is also why it has a very good (for the type of vehicle) handling characteristics.


Now, it also has the 2.7L V6 with a 5-speed auto. If you want the V6, you can lose a few MPG but only get a 20bhp/torques upgrade so I would keep to the I4. That 2.7 was not all that refined and on its way to be retired. Warning, these are timing belt vehicles (at least the V6 is) so make sure you read up there.

... also if memory serves me right,
tires are 15" or 16" which counts price-wise (mazda5 is 16" and 17")
some came with third row bench. i would not just for Fido space.

But yes, the price is almost in the bowl...so cheap to pickup

also surprisingly, not too rusty

and type of vehicle is mini-minivan

 

[TheKracken]

Alright, it is official, I just bought a 2011 toyota prius. The power between this one and the old one is night and day, and the handling is truly pretty great. I agree with others that the Sienna would be a lot easier...but everytime we save 15-50$ on the road trip we can easily throw that in savings and watch it build up. I really missed the prius, its a great car.

 

[TheKracken]

Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
To Kracken

If you want a cheap, fairly reliable highway car for kids/geat ect that gets great gas mileage...

Kia Rondo.

Stay with me... don't glaze over. These are undervalued cars. They are basically Optima wagons.

You can find these all day with sub 40-60K and for less than $6-7K. Resale is meh as they are not popular but this is the advantage of the initial purchase price.

Fuel economy can reliably eek over 30mpg on the highway with the 2.4L 4-banger which is the late 00s Hyundai Theta engine. Good engine. Get 160ish bhp and torques. I bet it would get about 20-25% more on the highway than the Sienna. It is based on the Optima platform which makes it a good ride. Basically,it is an optima with a giant bubble passenger compartment. It is also why it has a very good (for the type of vehicle) handling characteristics.


Now, it also has the 2.7L V6 with a 5-speed auto. If you want the V6, you can lose a few MPG but only get a 20bhp/torques upgrade so I would keep to the I4. That 2.7 was not all that refined and on its way to be retired. Warning, these are timing belt vehicles (at least the V6 is) so make sure you read up there.


I just bought the prius...but I actually would have considered this. I think I was looking at newer Hyundai wagons/hatch and didnt know that kia had them. I forgot about these when I started the thread. Are they reliable to go 200+k miles? My sister owns a Kia rio and while it lacks in power and the shift feel is kinda bad, I found enjoyment in that. It was basically a true econobox

 

[FutureDoc]

Originally Posted By: TheKracken
I just bought the prius...but I actually would have considered this. I think I was looking at newer Hyundai wagons/hatch and didnt know that kia had them. I forgot about these when I started the thread. Are they reliable to go 200+k miles? My sister owns a Kia rio and while it lacks in power and the shift feel is kinda bad, I found enjoyment in that. It was basically a true econobox


Congrats on the Prius. Ignore all my comments

Just drive slowly around the gas stations in silent smugness!

If it is weird and a bit of a market flop (but still a good vehicle), I gravitate towards it like a fly towards... poo

Kia Rios are disposable built-to-a-price-point vehicles... throwbacks to a econo-times but the Optima and its variants are 200K vehicles. Maybe not as problem free as a Toyota but I would put Kia/Hyundai's core & mid-level products against Honda or non-Toyota everyone else for the 200K without a blink. For me for the 200K vehicles, it is Toyota (almost a 99%.9 guarantee), everyone else (likely), VW (but only funding a service manager's six children's private college tuition), and then the FCA products (lightning strikes a unicorn on a full moon during Haley's comet's drum solo).

 

[TheKracken]

Originally Posted By: FutureDoc


Congrats on the Prius. Ignore all my comments

Just drive slowly around the gas stations in silent smugness!

If it is weird and a bit of a market flop (but still a good vehicle), I gravitate towards it like a fly towards... poo

Kia Rios are disposable built-to-a-price-point vehicles... throwbacks to a econo-times but the Optima and its variants are 200K vehicles. Maybe not as problem free as a Toyota but I would put Kia/Hyundai's core & mid-level products against Honda or non-Toyota everyone else for the 200K without a blink. For me for the 200K vehicles, it is Toyota (almost a 99%.9 guarantee), everyone else (likely), VW (but only funding a service manager's six children's private college tuition), and then the FCA products (lightning strikes a unicorn on a full moon during Haley's comet's drum solo).


I am going to keep this in mind the next time I am looking for a vehicle. I wouldn't have minded a 20k mile car. The one I bought has 85k and I feel like I finnally get a fresh start and do everything right from the beginning (I usually buy a 150-190k miles)

Now as for the Toyota MR2....I would totally get one if I could afford 4 cars...always thought they looked like fun cars. But the wife uses the Sienna for work, we needed something efficient with cargo space (the prius) and I love my truck way too much, it is basically my fun vehicle.

 

[deoxy4]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
Originally Posted By: TheKracken
Alright, so my wife and I are pretty much decided on getting another prius. Contrary to popular belief, it is probably the most versatile vehicle Ive owned. You can camp in one (we have and was super comfy) fit 2 kids and a dog (done this too) and get 50+ mpg.

I had a gen 2 with the 1.5 engine and will be going for a gen 3 that has the 1.8 engine. Between the engine and upgraded hybrid system I think it nets 30-40 more HP than mine, which I was already happy with the power.

If anyone has thoughts on this, go for it. I am listening.


first: your wife is a saint....
second: if Prius is in the books,.... what are you still doing here? you should be on the prius forums ...
third: honda element.. can you say hoseable floors? also it's bigger inside then it looks
fourth: mazda5: will work for you in the 2+2 configuration living room for Fido+luggage in the back. But Fido will have to smell the air trough the kids windows. it has sliding doors.


Although it has been reported in many articles and reviews Honda has never recommended that the interior of an Element be hosed out. There are many electrical components near or at floor level. Not a good idea.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: deoxy4
Originally Posted By: pandus13
...third: honda element.. can you say hoseable floors? also it's bigger inside then it looks


Although it has been reported in many articles and reviews Honda has never recommended that the interior of an Element be hosed out. There are many electrical components near or at floor level. Not a good idea.


Thank you.
I stand corrected.

 

[merconvvv]

Were you able to get it in 5 to 8k range

?

 

[TheKracken]

Originally Posted By: merconvvv
Were you able to get it in 5 to 8k range

?


7.5k for for a prius with 85k miles in perfect condition. Was basically a base model with a few extras but this thing is amazing compared to my last generation (an 08).

KBB value was like 10k I think.

 

[FutureDoc]

Originally Posted By: TheKracken
Now as for the Toyota MR2....I would totally get one if I could afford 4 cars...always thought they looked like fun cars. But the wife uses the Sienna for work, we needed something efficient with cargo space (the prius) and I love my truck way too much, it is basically my fun vehicle.



Well, grab one... they don't take up too much space They are fun and definitely fantastically reliable vehicles. I have owned mine for 10 years and only have had to re-do the rear brakes calipers, front suspension struts, and repair a cracked fuel filler neck. I also replaced the stock stereo head unit. So two "wearing" items and a metal tube. Not bad for a decade.

The Spyders are coming down in price (finally) and I have not had to deal with "depreciation". They were low-teens in the mid 00s used with 20K miles and then they just kept their value an plateaued. Now, 8K for a low mileage example is normal and most are all low mileage. I have 60K on mine and it seems to be mid-pack. The basic power-train is that of a Corolla of the same era, but the suspension, body item are more expensive. Tops are really expensive (2K to replace).

 

[merconvvv]

7.5k is really good for 85k prius !!!!
I am sure it will give as many good miles as the rest of your toyotas.

 

[TheKracken]

Originally Posted By: merconvvv
7.5k is really good for 85k prius !!!!
I am sure it will give as many good miles as the rest of your toyotas.


I am super happy with my purchase. Only complaint is this model didn't come with a backup camera. Plan to run amsoil 0w20 in here or Pennzoil ultra if I can find it at a decent price!

Thank you everyone for your help and sorry I didn't get anything anyone suggested!

 

[KitaCam]

If you already have a video HU, then a camera, a quality Pioneer for example, would cost $200 incl a paid install.