In the market (600+ miles/week, looking to trade pickup for killer MPG)

[-JP-]

thanks Mech,I will take that in to consideration.I'm 35 miles NW of the city in a small suburb called Hanover Park,I comute to the city 5/6 days a week with the week ends being crazy"200+mi.".

[user removed]

I've had 4 people in mine and 4 sets of golf clubs in the trunk. All about my size. Sold it a while back, averaged about 45 MPG. Mine was a manual with no AC. Back seat actaully had decent room for a 6 foot 200 pounder X4. Not bad for a guess, just 35 miles away. Been debt free for 15 years at age 63. You can't beat that feeling. Save the 12k (or don't spend it anyway). 600 miles a week on a 15k car and it wont be worth anything in 3 years.

reagrds
Mech

[-JP-]

was yours a 4 door?

[user removed]

Nah, mine was a 2dr stripper, even manual steering, but I'm old and no kids around. I have a 2011 Fiesta that is 4 years old this November and just turned 26k miles. It gets about the same mileage but the back seat legroom is pitiful. It's a rebuilt salvage car, paid $10k for it with 3770 miles. It might be a little small for for a man your size. The Echo was surprizingly roomy.

regards
Mech

[dmafanp]

your best bet for resale value is a diesel especially if your buying used ,, if you find a diesel with 150 000 km on it it is barely broken in, and your mpgs will boost beyond belief i dont have a hybrid but would not trust them to go anywhere in the cold ,,

[user removed]

Around here the premium for diesel is 45 cents a gallon, around 15%. If your MPG is not 15% higher then there is no benefit in cost per mile. At 45 MPG in a gas fueled car, you would need to get around 52 in the diesel to have the same cost per mile.

Diesel repairs cost more, some have timing belts, and the rest of the parts wear out regardless of the engine type.

You got almost 300k out of a huge SUV, so that is a pretty good indicator that you take reasonably good care of your vehicles. Check out consumer reports frequency of repair records for owner feedback on the cars you are interested in buying.

When you buy a higher mileage (odometer) car I have found that the fewer options the better. All of those "conveniences" can really become expenses when they stop working.
I have seen cars scrapped for a couple of bad power window regulators @ $450 each.

People here have recommended good cars as choices, but you are a big person and that must be considered in your choices as well as the safety of your precious children when they are passengers.

regards
Mech

[ksa8907]

"Friends dont let friends buy Volkswagen."

[-JP-]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

"Friends dont let friends buy Volkswagen."

this made me lol!

[MetroMPG]

Sage advice from Old Mech, as usual.

600 miles a week: how long is that going to go on? That's the kind of commute that makes a moving worth considering, if it's a long term thing. It's a lot of transportation money and irreplaceable time lost.

[dmafanp]

Originally Posted by -JP-

this made me lol!

to many people try to FIX whats not broken