Results of Weekend Shopping for a New Car For My Mother

On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:38:26 -0400, "C. E. White"
> wrote:

>Earlier this month I asked for advice regarding a new car for my Mother to
>replace a Ford Freestyle that was totaled in an accident. I mostly was
>looking for advice regarding the Toyota Venza and Highlander. Well we
>finally went shopping and my Mother is getting a new Highlander

I'm not disagreeing with your mom's choice but why does she need an
SUV?? What were her needs from a technical perspective?

On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:14:19 -0700, Ashton Crusher > wrote:
>On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:38:26 -0400, "C. E. White"
> wrote:

>>Earlier this month I asked for advice regarding a new car for my Mother to
>>replace a Ford Freestyle that was totaled in an accident. I mostly was
>>looking for advice regarding the Toyota Venza and Highlander. Well we
>>finally went shopping and my Mother is getting a new Highlander

>I'm not disagreeing with your mom's choice but why does she need an
>SUV?? What were her needs from a technical perspective?

She doesn't like cars that are easy to park, safe on the highway, or that can be
handled out of an accident instead of plowing its way through one. Having fuel
bills equal to the monthly payment is also important.

"AZ Nomad" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:14:19 -0700, Ashton Crusher >
> wrote:
>>On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:38:26 -0400, "C. E. White"
> wrote:
>
>>>Earlier this month I asked for advice regarding a new car for my
>>>Mother to
>>>replace a Ford Freestyle that was totaled in an accident. I mostly
>>>was
>>>looking for advice regarding the Toyota Venza and Highlander. Well
>>>we
>>>finally went shopping and my Mother is getting a new Highlander
>
>>I'm not disagreeing with your mom's choice but why does she need an
>>SUV?? What were her needs from a technical perspective?
>
> She doesn't like cars that are easy to park, safe on the highway, or
> that can be
> handled out of an accident instead of plowing its way through one.
> Having fuel
> bills equal to the monthly payment is also important.

She bought a four cylinder front wheel drive Toyota Highlander! Come
on, this is not a Excursion, it is a Camry wagon (more or less). The
EPA rates it 20 city, 27 Highway, 22 Combined.....not as good os the
Camry, but about the same as an Avalon and a lot better than any
mid-sized SUV.

Have you actually been in a Highlander?

Ed

Ed

C. E. White wrote:
> "AZ Nomad" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:14:19 -0700, Ashton Crusher >
>> wrote:
>>> On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:38:26 -0400, "C. E. White"
>>> > wrote:
>>>> Earlier this month I asked for advice regarding a new car for my
>>>> Mother to
>>>> replace a Ford Freestyle that was totaled in an accident. I mostly
>>>> was
>>>> looking for advice regarding the Toyota Venza and Highlander. Well
>>>> we
>>>> finally went shopping and my Mother is getting a new Highlander
>>> I'm not disagreeing with your mom's choice but why does she need an
>>> SUV?? What were her needs from a technical perspective?
>> She doesn't like cars that are easy to park, safe on the highway, or
>> that can be
>> handled out of an accident instead of plowing its way through one.
>> Having fuel
>> bills equal to the monthly payment is also important.
>
> She bought a four cylinder front wheel drive Toyota Highlander! Come
> on, this is not a Excursion, it is a Camry wagon (more or less). The
> EPA rates it 20 city, 27 Highway, 22 Combined.....not as good os the
> Camry, but about the same as an Avalon and a lot better than any
> mid-sized SUV.
>
> Have you actually been in a Highlander?
>
> Ed
>
> Ed
>
>


I hear ya - I have a 4 cyl, 5-speed stick, FWD '06 Saturn Vue and they
(NY State and Saturn) classify it as a SUV. After I bought it and had
it in for it's 1st and last dealer service they let me know my "truck"
was ready. At the counter I told the guy "my '99 F150 is a truck - and
that's a small truck as it is when talking about trucks - This is not a
truck" .....he smiled and said that he knows, but they make him call it
that and he'd get in trouble if he didn't. (BTW - Gotta say that the
VUE has 95K on it and not one prob...Still won't buy another
though...they won't be around anyway by the time I'm ready to look)

I agree with you though - I have my SUV (and I hesitate calling it that)
because they don't make wagons anymore I guess...These are the Ford
Country Squires, Plymouth Fury's and Impala/Caprice wagons of today...I
have 2 kids and soccer/karate/etc practices to play chauffeur with and
it gets 30mpg in the summer and 27 winter. Some people are getting
conditioned to automatically see someone buying an SUV or say "why do
you need that?" and scorn you without knowing that it gets better
mileage than the car they're driving...Sad state of affairs in this
country...People are sheep doing what they're told, feeling the way
they're told they're supposed to feel based on spoon fed crap instead of
using their own noggin: SUV = BAD - CAR = GOOD. Get what you
need...Need the room but not 4WD or a 6 cyl...

Sorry for the ramblings...

IYM wrote:

> I agree with you though - I have my SUV (and I hesitate calling it that)
> because they don't make wagons anymore I guess...These are the Ford
> Country Squires, Plymouth Fury's and Impala/Caprice wagons of today...I

> Sorry for the ramblings...

It's okay, I was sad to see the only car mentioned in the bible be
discontinued (God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in his Fury).

SMS wrote:
> IYM wrote:
>
>> I agree with you though - I have my SUV (and I hesitate calling it
>> that) because they don't make wagons anymore I guess...These are the
>> Ford Country Squires, Plymouth Fury's and Impala/Caprice wagons of
>> today...I
>
>> Sorry for the ramblings...
>
> It's okay, I was sad to see the only car mentioned in the bible be
> discontinued (God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in his Fury).

yea, the Fury was the last wagon my family owned when I was a kid and it
went before it's time...It was the first new car my family bought
(replaced a Rambler Wagon) and it got wrecked in a snowstorm accident
when a lady lost it on a highway and came down the hill sideways and got
the front end in her passenger seat. As a kid, I thought the headlight
covers opening/closing and top of the fender amber turn signal
indicators were the coolest things! lol After the Fury, the gas prices
went nuts and it was a pick-up truck when we needed to haul stuff and a
Chevette when we needed to haul butt...

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:58:23 -0700, SMS wrote:

> IYM wrote:
>
>> I agree with you though - I have my SUV (and I hesitate calling it that)
>> because they don't make wagons anymore I guess...These are the Ford
>> Country Squires, Plymouth Fury's and Impala/Caprice wagons of today...I
>
>> Sorry for the ramblings...
>
> It's okay, I was sad to see the only car mentioned in the bible be
> discontinued (God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in his Fury).

<GROAN!> GO SIT IN THE CORNER!!!

SMS wrote:
> IYM wrote:
>
>> I agree with you though - I have my SUV (and I hesitate calling it
>> that) because they don't make wagons anymore I guess...These are the
>> Ford Country Squires, Plymouth Fury's and Impala/Caprice wagons of
>> today...I
>
>> Sorry for the ramblings...
>
> It's okay, I was sad to see the only car mentioned in the bible be
> discontinued (God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in his Fury).

I heard that the apostles were "all in one Accord".

--
aMAZon
zeszutko at nycap.rr.com
"It's never too late to have a happy childhood."