07-30-2009, 05:46 PM
MrBig,
I checked out a Caliber. It's garbage. Absolute garbage. I'd take a used Chevy Malibu Maxx over a new Caliber in a heartbeat. There are other wagons that blow the doors off it that are good choices, too. Unfortunately, they're going to be more expensive.
I'm lucky my old Jeep gets an EPA estimate of 15 mpg. Most new sedans and wagons and many compact SUVs are going to make me eligible for the full $4500. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in a sedan, most of the wagons that are worth considering are too expensive and the smaller SUVS are way too noisy.
I was just about to buy a '09 RAV4 Limited V6 with all-wheel drive and walked away from the deal because the vehicle was way too noisy on the highway. I was shocked. My '96 Cherokee and my dad's 96 Suzuki Sidekick were a noticeable improvement when it came to ambient noise, wind noise and road noise. The Toyota V6 was very smooth and quiet, though. i even rented an '08 with the same specs and it was worse! And Consumer Reports didn't even mention noise as an issue in their reviews of both model years.
I drove an '09 Suzuki Grand Vitara with a 4 cylinder and all-wheel drive and enjoyed it much more than the RAV4 with either the 4 or the 6. The seats were more comfortable and the noise level in the car was a noticeable improvement. I'd buy one except the Grand Vitara has significant blind spots and a moronic system for folding down the rear seats. Once their folded completely, you need to actually strap them to the back of the driver and front passenger seat to ensure they stay folded down.
I'm checking out an '09 Honda CR-V. It's another highly recommended vehicle. Hopefully, it isn't as noisy as the RAV4.
Robert
I checked out a Caliber. It's garbage. Absolute garbage. I'd take a used Chevy Malibu Maxx over a new Caliber in a heartbeat. There are other wagons that blow the doors off it that are good choices, too. Unfortunately, they're going to be more expensive.
I'm lucky my old Jeep gets an EPA estimate of 15 mpg. Most new sedans and wagons and many compact SUVs are going to make me eligible for the full $4500. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in a sedan, most of the wagons that are worth considering are too expensive and the smaller SUVS are way too noisy.
I was just about to buy a '09 RAV4 Limited V6 with all-wheel drive and walked away from the deal because the vehicle was way too noisy on the highway. I was shocked. My '96 Cherokee and my dad's 96 Suzuki Sidekick were a noticeable improvement when it came to ambient noise, wind noise and road noise. The Toyota V6 was very smooth and quiet, though. i even rented an '08 with the same specs and it was worse! And Consumer Reports didn't even mention noise as an issue in their reviews of both model years.
I drove an '09 Suzuki Grand Vitara with a 4 cylinder and all-wheel drive and enjoyed it much more than the RAV4 with either the 4 or the 6. The seats were more comfortable and the noise level in the car was a noticeable improvement. I'd buy one except the Grand Vitara has significant blind spots and a moronic system for folding down the rear seats. Once their folded completely, you need to actually strap them to the back of the driver and front passenger seat to ensure they stay folded down.
I'm checking out an '09 Honda CR-V. It's another highly recommended vehicle. Hopefully, it isn't as noisy as the RAV4.
Robert