2/6     Hey MOTD -- My car is going to die soon, and I was wondering if anyone
        has any suggestions for replacements.  My car is a 1998 ford taurus,
        24v Duratec engine.  It has good power, is very roomy, and was very
        reliable until it hit 100k miles.  I'm not married to another ford
        (or even to an american), but I can't really afford more than $30k
        (and 30 is really the upper end).  Ideally, I'd like something similar.
        TIA.
        \_ The Toyota Avalon is pretty nice.  280hp, roomy comparable to the
           ford, decent features, hovering right at the $30k mark.
        \_ Easy, get a Honda Accord or a Toyota Corolla. Relatively cheap,
           dependable, and if you get the better models it'll hold up its
           value. It should give you at least 10 years if not more.
           \_ If you don't want to buy a bland Accord or Camry perhaps
              you should consider a Subaru Legacy or Outback. Both would
              fit w/in your budget (the basic Legacy/Outback is btwn $21K
              and $25K, while the Legacy Turbo GT is btwn $26K and $30K).
              I currently own a 2003 Outback Wagon (basic, $22K in 2003)
              and I think that it is the best car I have ever owned.
              Some drawbacks of a Subaru are (1) the AWD decreases your
              gas mileage by 1 or 2 MPG over a non-AWD car such as a
              Camry, (2) the tires are more expensive to replace than
              on a Camry/Accord, (3) there aren't as many Subaru dealers
              as Honda/Toyota, and (4) there isn't a good way to listen
              to music from an iPod (no cassette player/line in).
              The Mazda 6 (as mentioned below) is another alternative,
              but I mainly chose the Outback over the 6 b/c the Outback
              had more interior room so I could carry more mtbs.
              --ranga
                \_ specs please. MPG, 0-60, HP.
                   \_ Readily available on the subaru website.   -OP
                   \_ the Accord beats Subaru on all 3 (MPG, speed, HP)
                      \_ This is true, but you should consider the
                         fact that the Subaru has AWD and can be
                         driven off road.
              \_ mtbs = mountain bikes? doesn't that muddy up the car?
                 what's wrong a rack? and why did you choose the outback
                 over the legacy? the outback has significantly worse brakes.
                 \_ I haven't had a big problem w/ mud. The car came w/
                    a big rubber mat that can be washed out. I considered
                    a roof rack but I decided that most of the time I
                    could just get by w/o it by sticking my bike inside.
                    a big rubber mat that can be washed out.
                    I don't normally need to carry more than one bike,
                    so I didn't want to invest in a rack. When I need
                    to take more than 1 bike, I try to borrow a rack
                    from a friend.
                    The main reason I chose the outback over the legacy
                    was that the outback had 0% financing (legacy was
                    2.9%) and there was a dealer incentive of $600 so
                    over 2 yrs the outback worked out cheaper.  The
                    outback also has slightly better ground clearance
                    and the dealer threw in the rdg for free which
                    helps if you want to drive it off road (which I
                    don't really do a lot of these days).
                    I didn't really know about the brakes when I
                    bought the car, so far I haven't noticed any
                    problems.
                    If I was buying today, I might still choose the
                    Outback b/c of the ground clearance but in all
                    other aspects the Legacy is preferable.
                    \_ Yeah I doubt the brake thing is that big a deal but
                       it was something my Dad considered when buying. The
                       Outback looks a lot flashier with the macho flared
                       fenders. I don't think most people really need
                       better ground clearance. I'm considering getting one
                       of the two myself. I like to be able to throw a bike
                       in the back of a car but I think I'd hesitate with
                       a nice carpeted trunk. I've used a truck a lot and
                       it always builds up dirt and mud back there. Maybe
                       if I got a tarp to cover everything back there... the
                       rubber mat thing I think only covers the very back.
        \_ Prius.
        \_ What about the Ford Five Hundred? It's supposed to be decent but
           boring, and the dealers will probably have to add incentives.
        \_ Does it have to be a brand new car? What's wrong with the
           current one? It will definitely cost less to fix the one you
           have and/or wait until it really dies. Camry, Altima, and Accord
           compete with the Taurus along with Mazda 6 and similar. All are
           under $30K. Personally, I'd think about buying a Lexus, even if
           it is a year old. If not that then how about an Avalon? I have
           firsthand experience with 2 Avalons and they are Lexus-lite.
           \_ Nah, it doesn't have to be brand new.  My current car might have
              a busted head gasket.  Cost to repair would exceed or equal the
              kelly bluebook value.
              \_ Yes, but still less than a new car. About $2K.
                 \_ Or, even better, seel the current jalopy to a junkyard
                    and buy another used card.  http://acauction.com!
                    \_ Yah, that's pretty much my plan;  I'm just polling
                    \_ Yah, that's pretty much my plan;  I'm just trolling
                       to see what motd people are interested in, or have
                       experience with.
        \_ Look buddy, $30K is a lot, do you really want to spend that
           much money on something that will depreciate 1/4-1/3 of its
           value the first year you buy it? Here is my recommendation.
           Buy a decent USED Japanese car from someone (Civic, Accord),
           and don't buy from dealers. You'll spend 1/2 of what you
           originally planned and can save the other 1/2 for something
           else nice, like kitchen/bathroom remodeling or save it for
           your kids' college tuition.
           Here is my second recommendation. If you MUST spend $30K,
           you can get a car that has enough room for fat asses like
           me (+200 pounds), has 255HP, ***37MPG***, and goes 0-60 in
           6 seconds. It is called the Honda Accord Hybrid.
           \_ "Nah, it doesn't have to be brand new."  and
              "Yah, that's pretty much my plan;".  Did you even read the
              thread, or are you just naturally this jerky?
           \_ Basically, the last sentence is the only relevant piece of
              information in your post for the OP's question.
           \_ there's something really really really wrong with putting 255HP
              in an oh-so-boring family sedan. It makes a lot of sense for a
              sportscar, but Honda Accord? 0-60 in 6 sec? It is just wrong.
         \_ What about Saturn? Any good? They have a neat little roadster
            coming out for $25K. Another option: Mini-Cooper.
            \_ Eh, neither is terribly roomy.  Check out the original post.