145 Comments

I’m currently contemplating a Tesla, partly in solidarity- here in London I need to park in the street and there are plenty of parking spaces with chargers exclusively for electric cars.

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Subaru Outback!

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I drove an Outback from Denver to Los Angeles in 2017 and it seemed fine. My neighborhood is less lesbian than heterosexual leftist, so it has very few Outbacks relative to Teslas, but an Outback seems reasonable.

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Very good defense against illegal driving, too. Very accommodating, too -- you can have an entire "lion in winter" arc at your ease!

The 6th generation has been around about five years, it's a big success. You can usually trust suburban lesbians' consumer choices (gentrified city neighborhood lesbians are another story) -- the last rationalists in the American mold, playing it safe, always mindful there's a future out there. Takin' it easy for all us sinners, if you will...

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I have an 88 pound dog, so a Subaru Outback seems reasonable.

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There -- again, the all-American family & the suburban lesbian would approve. The script almost writes itself, man & dog, you could be a "brand ambassador" for the Outback!

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“Dog tested…dog approved”

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But I don't deal with snow, so I don't need four wheel drive.

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8dEdited

Used to be purple haired lesbian cat ladies drove Foresters, though the Foresters are stout rally cars. Greenie tree huggers and snow boarders drove Outbacks.

Regardless AWD is pretty cool for traction, driving in the snow.

Nowadays with driver/lane assist etc. helps, old ladies of both sexes drive Subarus.

Or something like that/YMMV.

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8dEdited

Where I live in the California foothills/Sierras, every other car is a Subaru - and traditionally, the preferred lesbian model (like you say) is the Forrester. Outbacks are everybody else, including the snowboard/mountain bikers. But have you seen the new '25 Forrester? The new design is quite stylish, and even sexy - thus it may up alienating their traditional base.

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When I owned a Subaru station wagon thirty-odd years ago, cracked heads were a known problem with the boxer engines. Are those times long gone?

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Likewise up in the 4th corner of NW Washington.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check out the new Forrester.

The OB are not turbo charged as a rule compared to the Forresters IIRC.

As per John below, the cracked heads issue seems to have been resolved. So far haven't had any problems w. 98 OB which had the heads replaced before I bought it.

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Consider a Subaru Forester. They are like Outbacks but a bit bigger. - SUV instead of a wagon.

They are very nice cars and reasonably priced.

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Subaru Foresters are fine automobiles.

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"They are like Outbacks but a bit bigger"

You have that backwards...having said that I am in the process of purchasing an Outback myself. Turbo version though...

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i think its right, the outback may be longer but the forester is bigger in height and width i think because, and thats what makes it more suv like and the outback more wagon like.

i dont think its a significant difference either way though

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I’m still driving my 2002 Forester. It’s been a reliable vehicle, fairly nimble and easy to park, and generally scores well in Consumer Reports’ safety tests. Really my only complaint is that it’s a little underpowered for freeway driving. I don’t know if the newer models are better.

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I second the Subaru Forester, if you can endure the endless jokes about being a middle-aged lesbian.

I'm not sure if the latest models have auto-parallel parking. Our 2020 does not. But with the rear camera and front collision detector (with auto-braking!), parallel parking ain't what it used to be, automated or not.

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I have a farmer friend who loves Outbacks.

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Thumbs up on Subarus. We bought a used 2016 Forester coming off a lease and we're up to 150k with no problems (and we deal with New England winters).

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Do you take trips longer than 300 miles?

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When my detractors accuse me of never admitting to a mistake, I freely tell them that I was dumb enough to buy a Taurus when they were first redesigned in 1996. I got more compliments on that car than anything else I have never done in my life but in the end it was a piece of shit. Not long after I switched to Japanese base models and never looked back. I no longer get compliments but I'm at the point in my life where that isn't important vis-a-vis my car.

To directly answer your question I would need some time and I need to get ready for work, but if you buy a new Japanese car of some sort, you generally won't go wrong. I would go ICE as it is the more proven model and I would go new over used just for the peace of mind and for the same reason you don't marry a single mother

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Scotty Kilmer (a YouTuber who strikes me as smart about cars) has always touted Toyota and Lexus as the best cars and he recommends buying used.

Shockingly, he says recent model Toyotas have quality issues. Could be a hiccup.

OTOH, almost all cars are higher quality now than in the 1990s.

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Toyota was my choice for decades. I’m no longer driving so I can’t speak about recent quality.

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I'm in a 2012 Nissan Altima with low mileage. Next car would likely be a Toyota

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Second Toyota. On my second used. My first one was a 99 Corolla that lasted for over 20 years with minimal problems and had the best and fastest heating and AC of any car I’ve ever been in. I was so sad it got totaled. Now onto my second used Toyota.

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The heat on my nissan are the poorest features on the car.

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Used Lexus cars have been good to my family.

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Yes on Japanese. As appealing as the new Bronco may be, no Fords in my future.

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The only time I ever drove a Taurus, it was a '96, a rental in St. Louis. My own car at the time was a Civic Wagon, and I couldn't believe how sluggish ithe Taurus felt - exactly like my grandmother's '71 Pinto.

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It LOOKED cool, but you are correct as I found out the hard way

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LOL going against my earlier advice, if you want an SUV I would buy a Kia Seltos 2.0L which has a sticker of $24800. If you trust Consumer Reports I have access to their November issue which contains the new-car buying guide

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New cars and virgins both lose a lot of value as soon as you drive them off the lot.

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I have an electric and it is the best car I've ever owned. That said, a car is a tool and one must know the job the tool is being bought for. I recharge at home, can go a week or two between charges, and only rarely find myself behind the wheel for more than an hour. It checks all my boxes. Your, ahhh, mileage may vary.

I'm betting that reliability will be a strong point of electrics, but that remains to be seen. I dislike hybrids as I fear the extra complexity would come back to bite me.

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If you get a vehicle with a lane-keeping system, for$1200 bucks you can get an aftermarket self-driving kit from comma.ai . I hear they are good but do due diligence. I got another 10 years in my 2012 CRV, just broke 100k. We'll made if somewhat underpowered. Very reliable.

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New car prices have really thrown me, but good to front run the trade war. So I have a Jeep Wrangler which really drives like a truck so isn’t ideal for LA; but think the newish Ford Bronco looks great and doesn’t bounce around as much and is competitive priced. And LA has a great tradition of Broncos… That said you drive your cars for a long time and Tokyos are better made. Land Cruiser.

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The prices of new cars are incredibly high. I don't know too many people who can afford them. Further, I don't like that many new cars don't come with CD players as if older folks like me can figure how to download music from the internet.

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Ditto. I’m now that old and want a CD player. I also want actual keys, not those terrible fobs.

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You've got that right. I am afraid the younger posters at this site are laughing at me.

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You neglected to mention how much you'd like to spend.

As for second hand or used, second hand has gotten a lot more attractive in recent years. Reliability has gone up. Anno 2025, you don't have to worry about buying a car from 2015, as you did when buying a car from 1995 in 2005.

Unless perhaps you're buying Chinese. Their products have gotten way better over the years, there's not much to worry about buying a new BYD. But for second hand cars you might still want to stay away.

Electric/hybrid/gasoline.

Purely a question of how long your drives are. Do you nearly exclusively drive trips of less than 250 miles? Than electric is probably your best bet.

Longer trips hybrid or gasoline is still preferred, though due to much faster charging electric isn't as much a hassle as it used to be.

But without a price point it's hard to give specific recommendations.

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As a former Uber driver and ex-newspaperman, I racked up a few hundred thousand hard and easy miles as a drive-by journalist. Even older than you at 77, I've criss-crossed the USA, commuted 50-miles a day to and from work for 20 years and carried strippers and heart transplant surgeons around the horrible roads of Pittsburgh for five years and 7,000 trips. First it was Honda Civics, then it was my wife's Honda CRVs, which I first stole for an Uber car and since 2015 have been my car of choice. Its size, gas mileage (25 and 32) and AWD function made it a perfect Ubermobile for hilly Pittsburgh, where 2 inches of snow usually paralyzes the barely-plowed streets. I leased them new, drove them for three years, bought them from myself. I never had a single thing wrong with any of my Hondas, if you don't count new brake pads, new tires and the occasional sick college girl on St. Patrick's Day. If you lease a new one, as I did for 550 a month (prices have jumped almost 30 percent since 2019, you'll never have to worry for the next four or five years or 120k miles, whichever comes first. You can buy a used Honda, but the price will be high because they hold their value. A Honda CRV won't get you any girls, but it'll always get you where you want to go. Whatever you do, don't buy an American car. I just got back from Portugal where I drove 1,700 miles (2,800 km) in 10 days in a rental car. It was SEAT SUV, made by VW in Spain. You're lucky they don't sell them in the USA. https://clips.substack.com/p/lets-grab-portugal

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The Super Bowl car ad we need: "It won't get you any girls, but it will always get you where you want to go!"

People would be laughing for weeks.

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Yes, and: "they're boxy, but good."

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May be changing. Just last night in SF, in the lane next to me, a pretty young blonde in a CRV - but the driver was a Desi.

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I am currently driving a 2016 Ford Fusion PHEV with 110,000 miles. In the last nine years I have had zero repairs. The only maintenance has been tires, oil changes and an occasional cabin air filter. This car has been the most reliable car I have owned in my 60 years of driving. I too am looking and a replacement car since I own only one car. My only concern with my Fusion is battery failure. If the battery dies, the car becomes useless. Battery replacement is about twice the value of the car, if one can even be found. My point, is, PHEVs complexity does not necessarily make them unreliable, but there are factors to consider.

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I'm surprised you could fit comfortably in Japanese cars--I don't at 6'2", but I'm oddly shaped.

You didn't say how many miles you drive a year. Hybrid/EVs aren't worth it for low miles. All recent cars seem to have all or mostly black interiors, which I can't abide, big screens for complex audio systems, and head restraints that are too far forward. You may not like the auto start/stop "feature" that would drive me crazy, but it can often be disabled.

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My last two purchases have been a Ford Maverick hybrid and a Toyota 4Runner. I’d buy either one again in a heartbeat.

The Maverick gets mileage as high as mid-50s. I can’t comment on its long term reliability though.

The 4Runner speaks for itself. Made exclusively in Japan. The 2025 model is available only with the brand new turbo 4 cylinder; that hasn’t established the usual glittering Toyota reliability yet.

So, a leftover 2024 or CPO 4Runner would top my list. Lots of room for your dog. Mileage is so-so, around 19 combined. New ones start at mid 40s, used are not very much cheaper.

I did look at Subarus for my daughter, good bang for the buck there.

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I would love to get a 4Runner someday

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Yes, it’s my wife’s car. I told her that we’re never selling it. Might be a tight fit for our host though.

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Steve, get the Antarctic blue super sports wagon with the CB and the optional rally fun pack.

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In SoCal, an EV may work, but I'd stick with gas since you seem like a long term buy and hold type. Battery longevity is an issue. And EVs DEMOLISH tires

So .. Lightly used RAV4 or CRV. If you can find a good one, it will cost. A used Lexus RX 350 or 250(?) is tops for comfort and serene driving, but prices!

Go 2 wheel drive for the RAV4 or CRV if you don't do snowy drives. Rotate tires with oil changes. If you get a CRV with a cvt-transmission (mistake Honda!), it needs to be maintained. Ignore the dealer and find a good transmission shop.

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As long as he fits this is the correct answer.

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Used Lexus small SUV seems like the best fit for your requirements. Trim line up to you for pampering comfort. Spend a little of that Noticing money!

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"And EVs DEMOLISH tires"

I'm confused by this. My wife drives as Nissan Leaf, has 75,000 miles on the original rubber. Hasn't needed brake pads either, given that regenerative braking.

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Well, maybe light-weight smaller EVs like Leafs are outliers? I know about Teslas - which I should have clarified.

I know Prius are lighter weight and normal with tires. That said, they often have low rolling resistance tires that tend to be loud.

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I owned a 2012 Nissan frontier that my son drove regularly. It recently died and the mechanic said trying to fix it would be a case of good money chasing after bad.

Used cars are - relatively - expensive right now compared to the “normal” used car market. All of those new cars that weren’t built during Covid now don’t exist as used cars, those there is a shortage of used cars and prices are higher. Economists say it’s going to take 2-3 years for inventory to sufficiently grow and get back to a normal cycle of new cars turning into used cars.

All that to say, new cars are probably a better deal, but they still will require more cash to buy than an expensive used car. The advantage of new cars being that you can be sure that there is no unknown prior damage or repairs and that the whole thing is under warranty for a few years if you have a problem.

As far as what car to buy, you can never go wrong with a Honda or Toyota, new or used. The CRV is a great car, as is the RAV4 and Highlander.

Practically all cars - new, but starting to be used as well - have the same electronics (or Bluetooth, sound system) and safety features (backup camera, blind spot detector), to the real difference in price now comes from the engine size and cosmetics and creature comforts (heated seats, ambient lighting).

One popular feature on new cars nowadays that I detest are the lighted hood ornaments. They look dumb and serve no practical purpose.

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I detest the ASS, automatic start-stop. Maybe Trump will put a stop to it.

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Go to the website Bring a Trailer and sign up. All kinds of used cars from vintage Ferraris and Lambos to Suvs and sedans from everywhere. Items are sold by auction. Cars are described in detail. Lots of instructive critiques. Full documentation and photos. The Auctions are of short duration. Check it out and get a Toyota.

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I like looking at stuff on that site but make sure you are truly getting a deal since you have to pay a 5% buyer's fee on top of the purchase price. They are definitely possible but you have to know what you are looking at.

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