| Author |
Message |
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - 10:24 pm 
I love my RAV4 and am the same height as Karuuna. It is AWD, which we don't need so much around here. Its seat pretty much aligns with my butt, so it was real easy getting in and out of it on the occasions when I had two knees replaced four years apart. I was driving myself to p.t. within just 2-3 weeks. Plus Toyotas last a really long time and hardly ever need repairs. Ours is a 2014 and has a backup camera and lane deviation alerts and heated seats, power side windows, and a bunch of other stuff.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 4:30 am
Have to smile Juju. Not quite the same but I started having sciatic nerve issues about 10-12 years ago. Back then I had my mid-life crisis Ford Cobra Mustang convertible. Literally crawling in and out of the car was getting to me. My doctor recommended I ditch the sports car and get something I could easily get in and out of. Bought a GMC Yukon….basically the body style as Chevy Tahoe and the fancied up Cadillac Escalade. Loved that truck but a few years ago I wanted a vehicle with all the bells and whistles like built in navigation, backup camera, lane keeping, etc., so I went back to Ford and bought my Explorer. Oh and by the way my sciatic nerve issue rarely flares up anymore.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 8:33 am
Thank you, all, this is so much help.
I think even if my mechanic (who is a car genious) can fix it, I might trade it in and get something more reliable at this point.
Juju - my future DIL has a RAV4, and she loves it. But she is tiny... I'm not sure she's even over 5 feet!
Mack, I loved my Escalade, had it for ten years, and only had 50,000 miles on it! And then some nut ran a red light and destroyed it.  That's when I got the Avalanche. I just don't want one that big again, although the size of the Escalade probably saved me from being injured severely in that crash.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 1:59 pm
I bought my RAV for me… I don’t get many passengers in the back seats, so I can move the seat back as far as I want. It just goes and goes. It’s a good little SUV. I have a 2011.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 9:29 pm
Kar, the future DIL being tiny and loving the car doesn't rule out you not being able to get in easily. She is probably young and athletic, and can hoist her body up fairly easily. Older short people find getting in and out daunting and are more suited to sedans. In my old age I find getting in and out of low slung sedans much more daunting than mid-size SUVS or even full-size SUVs.
Kooklie, I am all legs, and Bigdog is all torso, so if you put his torso on my legs, you have a man of about 6'7" trying to fit into a car. We have a hell of a time shopping for cars. My testing of a new car would usually consist of getting into the front seat passenger side at whatever setting the last person left it. If I didn't immediately scream, then that car might make the cut. Back when we were shopping in the early to mid-teens, I thought we would be getting a Honda CRV, until I got into one and screamed at the pain of my shins banging into the bottom of the glove compartment, even with the seat all the way back. Same thing happened with the Honda Pilot. Shins jammed into glove compartment. If my shins fit in the front seat, I then put the front seat all the way back and go sit in the back seat behind the front one. If I have any extra room in front of my kneecaps, the car makes the cut. The Rav4 passed both tests, and I like sitting up high, where I can see the road in front of me.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 10:31 pm
I like the sitting up high part too. Portland has many one way streets with stop signs. So much easier to see around parked cars in my RAV. Just drove a VW Jetta on vacation. It was an okay drive, but too low to the ground. Had issues with visibility.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 1:51 am
Kar, is your son the same height as you? He can get in her car and adjust the seat and see how comfortable it fits him. He knows what you need. If he doesn't think it would be a good fit for you, then you can rule it out. Easy Peasy! What year is her Rav4? And if he does think it would be good for you, have them drive in the Rav the next time they visit you, so you can check it out.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 8:50 am
I was wrong, she doesn't have a Rav4. Oops... can you tell I'm not a car person? LOL.
My electrician tells me a hybrid is not in my future, unfortunately. My garage only has 3 receptacles currently, 2 are in the ceiling, so wouldn't work. The other is currently used by my freezer. He thinks I'd need electrical work and a new circuit.
So, no Rav4 for me.
I can't wait until they visit again... I have to buy a car in the next week, because this rental car is very expensive.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 9:12 am
Not all hybrids require charging. Some do, but most are self generating electrical powered with gas as a backup. My friend just bought a new RAV Hybrid. It doesn’t require a plug in. Having said that, since I expect to only have about 10 years of driving left, I would probably buy a gas car for my next purchase due to the comparative prices of the hybrids.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 9:25 am
Kooklie, I most likely have less years than that, so that's a good point. Plus I can't get a new car... would likely be at least 5-7 years old.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 11:10 am
OK, since you want to buy your car in a week, let's do this backwards. I'm assuming you will buy it through a car dealership to get the 90 day warranty. So, my thinking is to go online and check to see what your local dealerships actually have on hand. Then let us know which ones you are considering (make and year) and we can help look them up and all discuss the pro and cons of the cars.
And if you offer your mechanic money, would he be willing to look at the car you decide on?
I'm ready! Vroom! Vroom! <insert zooming car emoji here>
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 11:17 am
I bought a used car from a Toyota dealership. Buying from Private parties scares me.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 11:20 am
Subaru Outback.. 2017, asking $16,000. 78,000 miles.
Subaru Outback... 2020 $19,000. 96,000 miles
toyota highlander... 2018, $20m. 86,000 miles
GMC terrain SLT, 2019, $20k, 71000.
These are the ones that roughly fit "mid-size SUV" at my preferred dealer.
My mechanic would look at it for me. However, there's a logistical problem. i'm inclined to buy near my DS and DIL to be. That's an hour away. I'm waiting for a call back from the preferred dealer to talk about some issues.
Here is their website. I used search parameters, under 20k, under 100,000 miles, SUV body style.
https://www.mountainstatestoyota.com
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 11:23 am
Um, do we have a car thread? Maybe we should be discussing there? 
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 11:52 am
I'm checking!
In the mean time, take a look at this Forester, if you are considering outbacks. They are basically the same cars.
2018 Subaru Forester 61660 miles $18,449
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 12:34 pm
Quick googling of 2018 highlander problems and I found this page. I don't think it was a good year for transmissions. Ask your mechanic about it.
Link
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 12:44 pm
GMC Terrains have transmission problems, too.
quote:Based on the information gathered, the most problematic GMC Terrain model years to exercise caution with are the 2011-2014 models, which have been plagued by issues such as excessive oil consumption, engine stalls, and steering failures.
Additionally, the 2016 and 2018 model years have also been subject to numerous complaints regarding transmission problems, electrical faults, engine troubles, and infotainment screen failures.
What is The Biggest Problem With The GMC Terrain?
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 12:48 pm
What's funny about the Terrain is that the used car price you have is a heck of a lot more than what they are asking for near me. The other cars seem to be similar in price near me. I wonder why?
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 12:55 pm
I wonder if it has to do with the package/upgrades?
this research is golden, Grooch... thank you!
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 12:58 pm
The Forester is quite similar, but is a little smaller in length than the Outback, which was my concern. But digging more deeply, it does seem a little taller, but also narrower. I'll have to see them in person to better understand!
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 1:01 pm
Now onto the Subarus. 
2017%2C%202022%2C%20and%202024.,Best Year For Subaru Outback & Year To Avoid
quote:The most reliable Subaru Outback years include 2001, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022, and 2024. These models have undergone innovations in technology and design, offering better fuel economy, enhanced turbo engines, and a wider range of luxury features
Ack! Later in the article it says to avoid the 2020!
quote:Subaru Outback years to avoid: 2020, 2021
However, the sixth-generation Outback faced some challenges, including reported issues with electrical systems and windshields, especially in the 2020 and 2021 models. The safety technology sometimes experiences false alarms, causing unnecessary anxiety for drivers.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the overall reputation of the Subaru Outback for reliability, safety, and performance remained strong.
Shoo! It's only the windshield at 10,000 miles and false alarms. Not something serious like oil usage and transmissions.
(Having trouble with links today. Mercury in retrograde, or something.)
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 1:19 pm
Kar, I had a hard time deciding between the Outback and Forester. They really are the same car. I can tell you the differences on the 2025 cars. The Forester is a little bit taller. I liked that. I belive the Outback is a little bit wider, so they are pretty near the same cargo space.
What I remember about the YouTube videos is that the Outback ride is a lot smoother and quieter. A lot less road noise. They fixed that with the 2025s.
The reason I picked the Outback was because in the 2025, they have a new engine in the Forester, and it's supposed to be more peppy, but I didn't like the way the transmission changed gears. It all could have been my imagination, but all my first cars were manual transmissions and I've had plenty of problems with them, so I am hypersensitive about transmissions and noises and sensations from them. It could have all been my imagination, but I figured let others work out the kinks that come with the first year. Not me!
So, try them both out and see how they fit for you.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 1:35 pm
And the Forester has a button on the Keychain to open the rear hatch and it raises by itself. I have to push a button on my car to open it and lift it up myself. And the Forester has a button near the hatch door to to drop the back seats for more cargo room. I have to reach in to release the seat.
I believe on both you can adjust the steering wheel and bring it closer or further away from you. Ask them. And I remember from a YouTube video that the passenger doors on the Forester open straight out, so its easy to put big things (they used a car seat to demonstrate) in and out of the car. I have no idea with the Outback.
If it wasn't for the road noise and smooth ride thingie...
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 2:03 pm
RN I'm off to try to make a Calzone with pizza dough I found in the freezer that's over a year old. No idea if the dough is still any good, but I'll soon find out! Lol!
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 2:57 pm
Grooch, hope that calzone was still good!
Wanna fly out here and go car shopping with me?? 
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