Car Conundrum
 

As much as I am loathe to admit it, I have reached a stage with my hip that getting in and out of my little 2006 325i has become a chore. It simply is what it is: as a DD I don't enjoy the car because of the pain I have getting in and out. Once in it I am as comfortable and happy with the car as I could possibly be.

I guess that's the price one pays for years of athletics and injuries.

So, I've looked at three potential cars/small SUV's and I fit in each very well, all are CPO. I think the car dealers thought I was nuts when I spent 30 minutes getting in and out:cool:

1. Volkswagen Tiguan. 2009 that was a dealer car for the sales manager, 6,000 miles. 4 Motion with 2 liter Turbo. $25,900.

2. Subaru Tribeca. 2006 with all the bells and whistles. 27,000 miles for $23,900. One owner car off lease.

3. Mazda CX-9. Multiple cars in multiple trims and mileage. Average cost $23,000.

All prices listed are before negotiation(s). Carfax was perfect on all.

All I need is a commuter mobile. So far the Tribeca is my favorite.

Any thoughts or additional vehicles I should look at?

Lastly, anyone looking for a 2006 325i, 42,000 miles, black and tan with a transferable CPO warranty in excellent shape for $19k let me know.

I would think the subie would be the most reliable. Now the VW is probably plusher and drives nicer? Did you drive them all? What was your opinion there? Do you plan to keep it for a long time?

Paul, would a larger car do the job, or are you thinking of multi-mission capability (hauling stuff around), too?

I had the sport seats in my E46 and thought they were as comfy as it gets. Can't remember any difficulty getting in or out unless I was wearing a gun on my hip.:cool: My wife, however, thinks the 993 is far more comfortable than the E46 was. Weird.

Open book, but I liked the ride height of the cross overs.

I would stay far, far away from the VW. Unless you really like your dealer service department.

The Subie and CX9 are both nice SUVs. Do you need the 3rd row seat though? If not, a CX7, Acura MDX, BMW X3, BMW X5, Mercedes ML, Nissan Murano, or Toyota Rav4/Highlander would be worth looking at (if you haven't already). Want an oddball suggestion?

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/cro...-an_460x0w.jpg

Saab 9-7X Aero, Saab's version of the Trailblazer SS. 390 HP, 0-60 in under 6 seconds, AWD. Not very popular in the marketplace, I'm willing to bet you could steal one right now.

Rick, I think ingress/egress is the issue Paul's dealing with, not comfort. My wife thinks the Recaro Pole Positions are comfortable, but getting in/out is a bit more challenging than standard seats. I think Paul needs a vehicle with long front doors and not making him bend/twist his legs/knees/hips to get in/out.

Paul, how about a Caddy CTS, DTS, WTF? Old duffers like Caddies. Their old bodies have to be able to get in/out, right? You are an old duffer, aren't you? SmileWavy

I like the subie - both the tribeca or the forrester (new version)

Exactly right, both about the ingress/egress and the duffer part:cool:

Indeed. Paul needs about a 10 minute drive in my Bigass Chebbie and he'll be begging me to trade with him... straight up.

Paul... I can help you out, bro.
:D

http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u...Caprice93b.jpg

My Dad has an 08 Honda CRV that might work perfectly for you. I'm 6 foot and can just slid right into the thing, no step up like the ford explorer I used to have or having to sit down like in the 944. Doesn't drive badly, gets decent gas mileage, can get out of its way if you want it to, has an alright sound system, etc etc. Its like white bread, no one really like its, but no one complains about it either.

"It's got a cop motor, a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks, it was a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. Whaddya say? Is it the new Blues Mobile or what?"

I bet when you drive I-95 you're like Moses parting the Red Sea:cool:

Paul:

For what this is worth, the VW Tiguan was voted the best car of its kind by several European automobile publications when it came out last year. Today it is virtually the only car in Germany for which buyers have to get on a waiting list. They just can't build them fast enough. It is that popular, and gets rave reviews. I haven't driven one yet, but it's on the short list of small SUV's we are looking at to replace my wife's Highlander.

Cheers, Mark

My 84 year-old father-in-law with knee and back issues got himself a Toyota Rav4 a few years ago and loves it. Easy entry and minimal step up required and it's economical to operate and seems bullet-proof.

"Fix the cigarette lighter."

There are times when having a bigass white American car has its advantages. ;)

It's not universally respected out there on the superslab, but many have assumed she was the heat.

I appreciate the input...I really liked the Tiguan. Its size is perfect for my needs and the ingress/egress was spot on, even at 6'4".

It is at the top of the list since I don't need a car the size of the Tribeca (which was very nice).

Off to drvie a Mazda CX7...thanks again.

As one who also suffers from sciatica from time to time, I wish you well in the search! I agree with the earlier post about the Subie most likely being the most reliable. And, like myself..you've probably reached an age where "image" doesn't mean much.

A nice 1/2 T PU is out of the choices? For the money, you get pound for pound a pretty good deal and you have the ultimate vehicle for all purposes. But, you may already have a truck. I just like them for daily drivers. They are comfortable and easy to get in and out of.

You should see me getting in that stupid Boxster. In 7 years I haven't figured out a good way.

Did you consider a CPO BMW X3? I got one in October with 15K mi, 4 more years on the warranty, 2 more years on the free maintainence, totally clean (even new tires and floor mats), leather, Premium, Xenon, seat heat. After the BMWCCA loyalty rebate and "we make the first two payments" at 1.9%, I got out the door for under $28K, California sales tax and all license fees paid (my net was even lower because they actually gave me a decent trade for my POS '02 Volvo V70 AWD). I also have an E46 with sport seats. The X3 is a sweet and comfortable drive.

I've got two trucks, an F-150 and a Tacoma.

The Tacoma will be my sons soon and the F-150 is a four door we use to tow stuff. And parking that thing is like bringing the Queen Mary into Long Beach:cool:

It will be my DD until the BMW sells and I settle on a more fuel efficient ride.

Since my 964 was a Targa, it was a breeze to get in and out of...