Urban DINK: Car Shopping List Update

If you read the earliest Urban DINK posts, you know that the wife and I are in the market for a new vehicle, probably a compact SUV. Today I snuck the new 2008 Ford Escape out of the office parking lot for a test drive, and to give the better half a look since it’s on our shopping list.

Bottom line, my wife, Courtney, liked it. It reminded her of her old Honda CR-V and felt more solid than her current Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s also the right size for Chicago driving and parking.

She thought it handled a lot better than the 2004 Escape we tested before buying the Jeep. I still remember that test drive; you could almost hear the road in the backseat and the engine screaming for dear life. Obviously, we didn’t buy it. 

Comments

Good luck with the purchase. I live in Boston and parking in tight spaces is paramount to going places. The '04 RAV4 with 5-speed is a delight to drive and is short. The new one is just TOO long, plus no manual.

Of your list, isn't the CX-7 a bit big? It seems in a different class than the Escape. I agree though, the RDX is definitely the looker, too bad it's not available with a manual (for me).

According to the site's residual value tool, the difference between the MSRP of the LX CR-V after 5 years is far better than the AWD Mazda CX-7's. The CX-7 costs $3k more at initial purchase, but ends up the same value as the CR-V. Especially if you lease, isn't that something to consider?

Replying to phaet....maybe the Urban DINK can convince his wife that the RDX will hold its value best of all of them and make up for it's higher initial cost. If that's what they really want they should just splurge and get it. My experience is you always regret it later on.

Now, I can understand if you want a M3 but can only afford a Civic. But 2-4K doesn't make too much difference when you finance it.

The 3 year estimate is probably a better indicator for a lease if they are trading it in after 3 years like they did the Jeep. But in that respect the RDX isn't any better than the Mazda- they are both down 50% of their starting value.

Another question is the next few cars...the Nitro or the Rondo? The Rondo is tiny...better to check out the Sportage. And where is the Hyundai Sante Fe?? That is probably a nice point for value and performance.

Ah the Rondo isn't really any smaller than the other cars...there should be an edit function..

Dave my two cents is even if the Avant was in your price range avoid at all cost. I lemon lawed my first and just dumped the second one with a multitude of electrical issues. I probably could have lemon lawed that too but I just reached the end of my rope and cut my losses. My wife and I thought we were stepping down getting into a RDX but now that we've had it for over a month I wouldn't want anything else. It's just a all around fantastic vehicle. I would highly recommend pushing your price ceiling to get into one especially compared to the others on your list. One thing is for sure my wife and I have no doubt that we will still be very happy with it three to four years from now. Good luck!

Dave,
Ever thought about the Turbo version of the Forester??

Great comments guys. Where to start. I'll work my way up from the bottom.

J: I've fallen in and out of love with the Forester a few times. we looked at it heavily before getting the Jeep but the particular dealer was so offensive (the "I need to talk to my manager") type of guy that we gave up. And it was over $10 a month on a lease. Then I tested the XT about a year and half ago and it had some annoying traits. Mainly the highway ride, bad ergonomics etc. I like the new legacy though and the top of the line engine is terrific. Plus this new system they have for economy driving actually works.

phaet2112: The sante fe and sportage are nice, they just don't deliver any driving excitement for me. The others we're considering all have something unique. The cx-7 and RDX are fun to drive/look good. The escape hybrid would have utility and economy. The Rondo is just odd and I like that. The cargo area when you get the 2 row (not 3 row) would be awesome for our dog too. We'll also be buying this time not leasing so this could be more long term.

LM: You're right on the price with the RDX. If we liked it that much more its not enough to really stop us. There are other factors I didn't want to get into as far as this being a work car for the wife. so if we keep it under $30K everything will be nice and tidy if that makes any sense.

As for the size we have a grand cherokee and my wife actually prefers that size over an escape/CR-V etc. And the CX-7 fits that bill just fine. the Cr-V would be a good choice but it's really the cargo utility that's kind of annoying. Same with the Escape. Why everyone can't fold the seats flat as easily as the CX-7, RAV4 and RDX is beyond me.

Thanks for all the positive comments guys. Just wait til we actually go through the buying process once we figure it all out! It'll be detailed that's for sure.

Oh and Saturn assures me the new Vue will be available to test before we need to buy, but there might not be a full inventory at dealers by early june to choose from!

Saturn Vue? Actually, the side photos of the Escape looks a lot like the current Vue. I think you'll encounter the same, not enough cargo utility in the Vue, as you did with the CRV, Escape, Rav4, etc. Since you are purchasing this time around, like most other savvy buyers these days, I think the RDX is the wise choice when you factor in luxury cliché, dependability, reliability, resale value, size, power, and total cost of ownership. Yes, it may a bit more expensive up front, but you’ll feel like you’ve made the right decision when it’s time to sell it 5 years or so from now.

Dave I know you probably won't consider this but I jumped from a '03 JGC ("The Nightmare") to a three year old Acura certified MDX. The RDX was not yet available so it was not in the picture and like you I tested everything on the planet that was within my price range. I though about purchasing the Sante Fe, but also felt it did not offer any driving excitement. The MDX is my first used car ever and I couldn't be more pleased as I got into a vehicle I love and kept to my budget at the same time.
To tie this into the Cars.com great cars face-off I'm predicting your wife will drive the RDX and you'll end up stretching your budget to buy it so it gets my vote. The sleeper is the Kia Rondo. Either way it will be interesting just make sure you bring along plenty of aspirin.

i've been looking at the same types of vehicles. the acura RDX was the coolest overall but i just don't want to spend the money. i'm going with the santa fe limited for $10k less. nice size, nice power, quiet as my old lexus rx300.

If you are not in a hurry, i would recommend waiting for the upcoming nissan Rogue. Pretty good styling and features (including nav, paddle shifters, 4wd) for a decent price....

Gurug
We're not in a hurry but yes have to buy by June. So the Rogue is out. That's also why we can wait on the NEW Saturn Vue, which I haven't heard one test of yet so not sure what Ken L is saying above.

I really didn't read the DINK criteria and after seeing the judgement on the vehicles above don't need to. All the vehicles above are SUV's and station wagons where are the coupes and sedans? Why do I have the feeling that the underlying idea behind all this scrutiny is a bigger issue. Starting a family! A really fun car is just that a FUN CAR! Where is the Mustang conv., G6 coupe/conv., VW EOS, and BMW335i. Where is the sexy car you want to be seen in and go out and have a fun time in!
--BE A REPONSIBLE PET OWNERS-----------------
I worked for a car safety company in the past and they used to test with dumbies, cadavers, and yes animals. Accidents happen and an unrestrained animal(dog) quickly becomes a hazard to ALL inside the vehicle as well as itself. So crate or get a seatbelt harness for you animal!

Chris M,
If you had checked out any of the other posts you'd have seen I had included the G35 and the S6 in the series for your exact reasoning above. The reason this post is slugged shopping list update is because its MY shopping list and that's what my wife and I are considering. I think a lot of people with no kids buy AWD wagons and SUVs too.

I applaud people for securing their pets but we don't do it every time and for long trips the crate is quite large. Thus even more need for a cargo area.

I too am a fan of the Legacy...I assume you'd get the wagon, correct? The deals on them are sweet, though isn't there a refershed model coming out for 2008? That means the deals should be even better.

I test drove a 2006 Legacy 2.5 GT (sedan) with manual transmission, that was a fun car to drive. The spec.B is pretty nifty too.

Yeah we'd go legacy outback most likely or whichever has the new fuel economy mode I tested back in the fall. The new versions shouldn't be radically different. not like the new imprezza. It is a fun car and I think the way we swing it is totally incentives and deals.

I guess you're referring to SI-Drive. Haven't tried that out, but it's nifty I suppose.

I'm just happy you can get manual tranny's, though I assume you aren't interested in that. In a world where they are becoming extinct, I am glad Subaru offers them on most models.

Do you know for sure if they are going to put the 3.5 engine in the 2008 Escape? I would like to buy one but if they are going to put that engine in it then I will wait.

nice very nice