Looking for recommendations based on my own set of criteria
mckenziepiping
05-19-2020, 04:58 PM
Hi everyone,
I've been gradually making a list of things that would be important to me in purchasing my next vehicle and was wondering if anyone could offer some recommendations. I'm looking to maximize value, while hitting as many of my criteria as possible. I'm thinking an SUV or a cross-over will be the only options.
First of all, here are the things that don't matter to me at all:
- Manual vs. automatic
- Appearance
- "Fully loaded" features.... all I want are power windows and A/C, the rest doesn't matter
- Horsepower & torque
Here are the things that are the most important to me:
- Purchase price, maintenance cost and general operating costs over a 10-year period from the purchase date must be optimized for value (purchase price must be less than 30K CDN$)
- Good fuel economy (anything worse than 9L/100km or 26MPG is a dealbreaker)
- The most possible cargo space
- Seats that can be fully lowered to the floor, forming a perfectly flat platform like in the Honda Fit
Other features that are important but not absolute musts:
- Japanese or Korean (positive predisposition to Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, Mitsubishi, etc…) but open to other brands
- Sterile dash and minimal integrated electronics is important - I hate things like integrated screens, built-in GPS, tire pressure monitors and generally all those unnecessary electronics that just drive up costs
- "Bucket" style floor mats or some sort of design that prevents excessive snow/salt messes in winter or at least facilitates cleaning
- Comfortable seats with reasonable back support
- Arm rest between front seats
- Cupholders in well thought-out locations
Vehicles I've owned in the past were:
- Mazda Cronos (fell apart after 200 000km, so now I have an aversion to Mazda)
- Honda Civic (fell apart after 475 000km, so I have a deep appreciation for Hondas, but I never want another sedan because of the lack of cargo space)
- Nissan Quest (great vehicle but I don't want another van)
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (horrible on gas, premature electrical problems and generally unreliable.... had to scrap it after 240 000km)
- Honda Fit (my current vehicle, 380 000km and still running extremely well with minimal maintenance costs. However, the seats are extremely painful for road trips. Any drive longer than an hour causes much discomfort. Also, I want something higher from the ground, larger and with more cargo space)
I've been gradually making a list of things that would be important to me in purchasing my next vehicle and was wondering if anyone could offer some recommendations. I'm looking to maximize value, while hitting as many of my criteria as possible. I'm thinking an SUV or a cross-over will be the only options.
First of all, here are the things that don't matter to me at all:
- Manual vs. automatic
- Appearance
- "Fully loaded" features.... all I want are power windows and A/C, the rest doesn't matter
- Horsepower & torque
Here are the things that are the most important to me:
- Purchase price, maintenance cost and general operating costs over a 10-year period from the purchase date must be optimized for value (purchase price must be less than 30K CDN$)
- Good fuel economy (anything worse than 9L/100km or 26MPG is a dealbreaker)
- The most possible cargo space
- Seats that can be fully lowered to the floor, forming a perfectly flat platform like in the Honda Fit
Other features that are important but not absolute musts:
- Japanese or Korean (positive predisposition to Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, Mitsubishi, etc…) but open to other brands
- Sterile dash and minimal integrated electronics is important - I hate things like integrated screens, built-in GPS, tire pressure monitors and generally all those unnecessary electronics that just drive up costs
- "Bucket" style floor mats or some sort of design that prevents excessive snow/salt messes in winter or at least facilitates cleaning
- Comfortable seats with reasonable back support
- Arm rest between front seats
- Cupholders in well thought-out locations
Vehicles I've owned in the past were:
- Mazda Cronos (fell apart after 200 000km, so now I have an aversion to Mazda)
- Honda Civic (fell apart after 475 000km, so I have a deep appreciation for Hondas, but I never want another sedan because of the lack of cargo space)
- Nissan Quest (great vehicle but I don't want another van)
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (horrible on gas, premature electrical problems and generally unreliable.... had to scrap it after 240 000km)
- Honda Fit (my current vehicle, 380 000km and still running extremely well with minimal maintenance costs. However, the seats are extremely painful for road trips. Any drive longer than an hour causes much discomfort. Also, I want something higher from the ground, larger and with more cargo space)
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2025