OT: Mid-sized sedans, $25-35,000

[Knight Shift]

Somewhat different question. Opinions on mid-sized pickup trucks?

Was considering:
GMC Canyon
Honda Ridgeline- the new ones look nice and get rave reviews. They have a trunk within the truck bed, which is really handy--it also functions as a cooler. There are also plugs in the bed for a TV.

Considered and no interest in the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan mid-sized pickup. Not interested in the larger pickups such as Ram 1500, Sierra or F150.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

The Toyota Tacoma will last a lifetime.

 

[theRU]

Somewhat different question. Opinions on mid-sized pickup trucks?

Was considering:
GMC Canyon
Honda Ridgeline- the new ones look nice and get rave reviews. They have a trunk within the truck bed, which is really handy--it also functions as a cooler. There are also plugs in the bed for a TV.

Considered and no interest in the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan mid-sized pickup. Not interested in the larger pickups such as Ram 1500, Sierra or F150.

Canyon has been pretty well received and is a strong seller fwiw

Not as important in NJ but in cali diesel is less expensive than gas so i'm all about the diesels.

 

[RU4Real]

Among the highlights were that I actually did not have the car for 11 months while we battled it out over who would pay for the engine sludge repairs that were rampant among the line.

I've never heard this story before and I'm extremely familiar with *** engines.

 

[Knight Shift]

Canyon has been pretty well received and is a strong seller fwiw

Not as important in NJ but in cali diesel is less expensive than gas so i'm all about the diesels.

I have a diesel Audi that is caught up in diesel gate. I love diesels too. Torque and overall driving experience is great compared to gasoline version of my Audi. Heard the same thing about the Canyons. Need to wait until the EPA/CARB sort out whether they will approve or disapprove of their fix for my 3.0L diesel, and Audi will either be buying it back or paying me a handsome sum for my pain and suffering. Either way, I will unload the Audi by year end and go for a mid-sized pickup. Will probably be a Canyon diesel or the Honda Ridgeline.

 

[theRU]

I have a diesel Audi that is caught up in diesel gate. I love diesels too. Torque and overall driving experience is great compared to gasoline version of my Audi. Heard the same thing about the Canyons. Need to wait until the EPA/CARB sort out whether they will approve or disapprove of their fix for my 3.0L diesel, and Audi will either be buying it back or paying me a handsome sum for my pain and suffering. Either way, I will unload the Audi by year end and go for a mid-sized pickup. Will probably be a Canyon diesel or the Honda Ridgeline.

If you are coming from audi your standards might be higher and we all know you get what you pay for to a certain extent, but the new equinox and GMC terrain will also be offered in diesel this year. Not sure if you have a Q5 or something different but it might be worth a look. It'll obviously be less expensive.

 

[SHUSource]

I've never heard this story before and I'm extremely familiar with *** engines.

Oh, yeah, it was pretty widespread. I wound up getting a new engine for free (beside the cost of waiting for 11 months) after the other one seized at 33,000 miles, and it ran great until I got rid of it at 110,000. Check this out.

 

[gmay8]

Somewhat different question. Opinions on mid-sized pickup trucks?

Was considering:
GMC Canyon
Honda Ridgeline- the new ones look nice and get rave reviews. They have a trunk within the truck bed, which is really handy--it also functions as a cooler. There are also plugs in the bed for a TV.

Considered and no interest in the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan mid-sized pickup. Not interested in the larger pickups such as Ram 1500, Sierra or F150.

funny you mention this, because my question above was about 3rd row SUV's, (Acadia, MDX) for my wife... however i'm also in the market for a mid-size pickup truck. I test drove the GMC Canyon and really like it, love the look, but definitely more a truck without some of the luxuries you mentioned in the Ridgeline. I also looked at the Colorado, which is a little less expensive than the Canyon.

I just can't get over the look of the Ridgeline... i really dont' like the way it looks compared to the Canyon, but the Ridgeline has more creature comforts... i'm pretty torn.

 

[RUSK97]

funny you mention this, because my question above was about 3rd row SUV's, (Acadia, MDX) for my wife... however i'm also in the market for a mid-size pickup truck. I test drove the GMC Canyon and really like it, love the look, but definitely more a truck without some of the luxuries you mentioned in the Ridgeline. I also looked at the Colorado, which is a little less expensive than the Canyon.

I just can't get over the look of the Ridgeline... i really dont' like the way it looks compared to the Canyon, but the Ridgeline has more creature comforts... i'm pretty torn.

Why do you need a truck? If you answer that, you may be able to better make your decision. The Ridgeline is an AWD Odyssey/Pilot with a bed in the back rather than a covered third row. The Canyon is a midsized pickup body on frame construction. Though they look like the same thing, they're very different things.

 

[jmc11201]

Anyone drive a 2013 - 2015 Lexus GS350? Considering one in the price point mentioned...probably looking at 20,000 - 30,000 miles.

 

[Knight Shift]

If you are coming from audi your standards might be higher and we all know you get what you pay for to a certain extent, but the new equinox and GMC terrain will also be offered in diesel this year. Not sure if you have a Q5 or something different but it might be worth a look. It'll obviously be less expensive.

I have gotten over the "quality" thing with Audi. We are scaling back on expenses. My best deal will be if CARB/EPA forces Audi to buy my 3.0L back--I get $4,000 more than paid for it, and the privilege of driving it for 4 years. This is my first time being part of a class action-but man it was like winning a small lottery. I have driven the GMC Terrain when on vacation, and I liked it a lot. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Knight Shift]

funny you mention this, because my question above was about 3rd row SUV's, (Acadia, MDX) for my wife... however i'm also in the market for a mid-size pickup truck. I test drove the GMC Canyon and really like it, love the look, but definitely more a truck without some of the luxuries you mentioned in the Ridgeline. I also looked at the Colorado, which is a little less expensive than the Canyon.

I just can't get over the look of the Ridgeline... i really dont' like the way it looks compared to the Canyon, but the Ridgeline has more creature comforts... i'm pretty torn.

You need to stop following me around. First you move to the town next to me. Now you are buying the same vehicle? Ha. I hated the way the old Ridgeline looked with the triangular C-Pillar, but I think the new ones are sweet looking. One huge downside of a pickup (unless you get a bed cover) is you have no cargo space.. I keep my firefighting gear in the back of my vehicle, and I need somewhere to put it that is out of the weather. Check out the Cars.com review of the Ridgeline. Couple of cool things about it is that the back seat folds up, and they say you can fit a mountain bike in the back seat area. Also, the tailgate both folds down and opens like a traditional door, which is good for retrieving stuff at the bed.

But @RUSK97 makes a good point. The Canyon and the Ridgeline are really two different vehicles. The Ridgeline is more like a SUV with a bed (like the old Ford Explorer Sport Trac (I had one and loved it-they don't make them any more)). But the Canyon is more like a truck. The Canyon is now offered in the Denali line too for Diesel. It is expensive ($48K), but sweet looking inside and out. I have time to make my decision.

 

[theRU]

I have gotten over the "quality" thing with Audi. We are scaling back on expenses. My best deal will be if CARB/EPA forces Audi to buy my 3.0L back--I get $4,000 more than paid for it, and the privilege of driving it for 4 years. This is my first time being part of a class action-but man it was like winning a small lottery. I have driven the GMC Terrain when on vacation, and I liked it a lot. Thanks for the heads up.

The difference bettwen the chevy and GMC models is substantial. Denali in red in case you are wondering what the difference is.


Chevy Equinox :

 

[knightru]

Test drove the fusion plug in today. It was pretty nice. Wondering if the mpg was legit. Anyone have the hybrid or plug in variants of this car?

 

[DHajekRC84]

This is true, and I think we leveraged it to great effect. It came down to the Mazda 6 and the Acura TLX, and after a vigorous debate at home, we went with the TLX. Got a great price, and more for my trade (an '08 Civic) than I would've imagined. They clearly wanted to do the deal, and I was happy to oblige.

Thanks, folks, for all your insights. They were very helpful.

great thread. When I started reading it I didn't know that I may be in this very same market demand come now. Many of these models on my list but I May up another $5k to get to a great $40k model even pre-owned low miles.

For those trashing the Fusions/Malibu. My last three company cars were/are '13 Fusion, '15 Malibu, and currently '17 Malibu. Drive them 18k a year up and down east coast. For $25k new car they are very nice. Nice on the outside, fine on the inside, solid handling and performance. Liked the Fusion a bit more for the inside features. Malibu seems a bit "cheaper" . Wife likes the Malibu more for driving site lines. All 3 got/get 27combined MPG. Bottom end zip was there, top end not so much. The thing I do not like about the Chevy is the auto-off motor. Fusion got same MPG with the Eco boost Motor. I really like the Impala look even more but the 20MPG breaks it for me. Do I trust these cars at 10 years - 100K ? Not there yet. But I think they are decent cars for sure. (PS. my other cars were a '00 Acura TL with 145k, and I still have my '05 MDX with 108k on it running like a top)

If $25-30 was my max budget and I wanted new they would be in the solution set. I am going to spoil myself a bit more now that I am buying for myself.

 

[bob-loblaw]

you're giving up your negotiating advantage by going into the dealer. you can make the deal from the comfort of your home. edmunds has a request for quote function, which will allow you to solicit quotes from nearby dealers. Obviously, you need to know exactly what you what. some dealers won't play ball. Focus on one's that do. All you want is their best offer.

Once they provide their offer, then you can use the truecar price to crosscheck. this method allows you to possibly do better than the truecar price. once you nail down the details, then you can go to the dealership and sign the paperwork.

This couldn't be further from the truth. Those Edmunds certificates are sadly rarely an outstanding deal.

If you know what car you're looking for research prices at multiple dealers. Find the one with the best reviews and/or best inventory. Know the best price and start haggling.
Tell them youre not going to buy and ask for the best price to shop around. They'll give you such a low ball price that no other dealer will match. If you return to the dealership the next day, they won't even honor it. Simply get that price, walk out to your car, then walk back in. They'll be forced to match it and you'll go home with an amazing price.

That will only work if you know your prices. But it works every time. Also make sure you have whatever vehicle you're trading in with you then and there.

Lastly, when you sit with the finance person, k ow that they're out to f you. They're going to try to sell you the world, and they make a lot of money on what they sell. If you want an extended warrantee or tire plan haggle that down too.