When an Auto Writer Buys a Car: Part II
Yesterday, I told you how my wife and I came up with our list of potential replacements for our 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Out of that list, I had a very good idea what my top choice would be. I had enjoyed the Mazda CX-7 when I first tested it, and thought it was going to be an easy sell to my wife. My next step was to take her for a test drive and get some price quotes online.
There was only one model we hadn’t really tested thoroughly — yes, as an automotive journalist you do test cars for yourself as well as for a story — and that was the Subaru Outback.
I hopped onto Cars.com and sent out quote requests on both the Mazda and the Subaru using my personal email address, so it never showed up with @cars.com after it. At no point in my car-shopping process did I tell a salesman where I worked.
I was surprised at how quickly the emails came pouring in.
I was even more surprised at the prices I was being quoted on the CX-7. I was looking for a black, all-wheel-drive Sport model, which is the base trim level. The quotes coming in were for the top-of-the-line Grand Touring, fully loaded except for navigation, for the same price as the MSRP on the Sport — around $26,000. Could this be going any better for me? The car I wanted was close at hand, and more than one dealer had the right color and a great price.
A Subaru dealer also contacted me from a nearby suburb, and I scheduled a test drive for a Saturday morning so my wife could drive the Outback. There was a Mazda dealer nearby, too, so I figured we’d run in there after driving the Outback and my wife would be blown away by her experience in the CX-7.
We arrived at the Subaru dealership and were quickly greeted by the salesman who had called me to schedule the test drive. He was young and friendly and not very much like the stereotypical car salesman; that means we liked the guy. We test drove 2007 Outbacks with both the six-cylinder and four-cylinder engines. Courtney didn’t really notice a difference in our test drives, and if she didn’t care I didn’t think the more-than $5,000 price difference was worth it. We left with a very positive reaction from Courtney on the car, while I was glad we didn’t end up with a slimy salesman.
Next up was the Mazda dealer. We walked in, waited for a few minutes before a salesman showed up — there was only one — and said we wanted to test drive a CX-7. He asked for my wife’s driver’s license to copy, handed it back with a key and let us loose. Courtney reacted negatively to the seating position right away. There was too much dashboard ahead of her, and the cabin seemed too cavernous. I tried to tell her she was imagining it, but her complaints were legit even if I disagreed. Even worse was that the CX-7’s suspension took the bumpy streets we were on with extra feedback. Our Chicago commute wouldn’t be any less bumpy, and to me this was a real-world problem. I quickly saw the idea of my dream car evaporate right before my eyes.
I thought by the end of the day we’d have our car figured out — no more shopping, no more online quotes. I was wrong. We had to go back to the drawing board. I wasn’t totally sold on the Outback, and I’m not the type of person to settle. Now, the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander were back on our shopping list, and I had to go back through the quotes and get back into test-drive mode for three more cars.
When an Auto Writer Buys a Car: Part I
When an Auto Writer Buys a Car: Part III
When an Auto Writer Buys a Car: Part IV
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Thank you for reminding me why it's nice to be single.
Man I was thinking the same thing.
Now, now
tsk, tsk gentlemen. This is the wife's car, not Dave's car...I drive it every day. He might actually drive it a couple of times a month. He's lucky I heeded his advice.
The CX-7 had both bad seats and a bad ride? You tried the Sport model, right? That might be why...
I have the Touring with Technology Package, and AWD, and maybe I just got the one good one, but I never have had a complaint about the seats (downside to an SUV: everyone carpools with you)(and then they don't pay their share of gas). The ride is somewhat stiffer than a few others, but I've both never had pain from riding in it or complaints from others.
Hope you two find the car you like!
PS: The technology package is not worth it btw (on the CX-7). Other than the rear-view camera, I've used none of whats included in it. And not that those speakers were bad, but Bose just does not provide the audio quality I demand.
Tom,
It wasn't a comfort issue with the seat like it didn't feel good. It was really how far away from the dash she felt she was and how the position was in terms of visibility. We actually tested a Grand Touring.
I posted this late yesterday too, but I'm still curious: why aren't the Toyota Highlander or the Honda Pilot on your list? I was surprised that you didn't mention what led you to exclude them given their popularity.
Ed,
Sorry about that.
They're a bit too big for us and get the prices a bit too high. I personally am not a fan of the current version of either model and both are being replaced either soon like the Highlander or not too far off like the Pilot.
The Acura RDX is still the best cross-over on the list and should be considered again. Its the more stylish and premium of the bunch. I think you will love the RDX even if you have to pay a little more for it. Acura is luxury and tech. Acura is the best bang for your buck, and value orientated. You will feel much more "upper class" for lack of a better phrase, while you have the RDX.
Let me just tell you, nobody says, "OH! wow! look its a MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER!, they must have a lot of money.
Two big differences:
A:The turning circle on the Subaru is much smaller than the Mazda's. This will affect how you both feel about the cars for a long time. Works for me. I've owned both makes.
B:The seating position in the Mazda's much higher, giving a different feeling about what type of vehicle you're in and how you relate to others on the road.
Try getting in and out of the test cars, and observe how often your pants contact the sill, which will be covered with frozen snot all winter. Not a big deal until you start sending your dry cleaner's kids through college.
The Outback's a more expensive Legacy. Is the extra inch of ground clearance worth the money? I say no.
My wife and I test drove most of the ones on your list for the replacement to her Accord (too sedate). While we both liked the CX-7, it demanded premium (okay for my Bimmer - but a Mazada?) and the ride was harsher. She actually feel in love with the Subaru Tribeca (pre- '08 makeover). We got a nicer suv, with a better ride, more space, and a V-6 for less than the Grand Tourer CX-7.
I bet David will end up with a Santa Fe or a CRV, although I'm an 07 Outlander owner and I believe that the Outlander would be a better choice in your scenario because it's the best compromise between the sporty ride you want (you wanted the CX-7 right?) and the versatility you need. The 4WD in the Outlander is superior to any other SUV still on your list, it has the highest ground clearance and the under the car is very well laid out without hanging things (this is helpful when plowing through the snow). For few thousands under your budget you can get a fully loaded XLS, with all the gadgets in case you care about that. Otherwise, you could get the LS which has all the basics covered and save tones of cash. As a bonus, you get V6 power with good fuel economy and a reliable vehicle with long warranty.
So that everything is transparent, what do you and the staff at Cars.com drive?
Ken L.
I'm not sure the "whole" staff at Cars.com matters since there are hundreds of employees. Many of the editorial staff talk about their first cars on the About Us page:
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/about_us/
Like I said in Pat I my wife currently drives a leased 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That's what we're replacing.
Ryan,
We're not big on status but I did get advice from someone I trust on car matters who said the luxury feel of the car might be worth the extra money because you're treating yourself to it. During the whole process though I thought "why do I need a luxury car when I'm driving a BMW 650 this week?"
Granted that is unique to my job and if I wasn't an automotive writer I might want my only ride to be "nicer." One other reason I like the RDX, it has one of the better cargo configurations. Why Honda didn't use it for the CR-V I have no idea.
At least one of my company's cars is still on your list, and it so happens my company has a program to sweeten the deal when you're considering the competition. Assuming you don't get supplier discounts or have industry connections already, give me a shout if you'd like an incentive towards one of the cars on your list. (I can't give this to everyone; please write to me at my @gmail.com address from your @cars.com address so I'll know it's you).
Thanks Balthisar but we've already bought the vehicle. I wrote the series after the fact (we picked up the car Saturday) exactly because I didn't want to get deals as a result of writing the series.
Wait wait, your in a position of power and yet you do not milk it? You could've fleeced a dealer just to get the car you like, and decided not to?
.....
Its official. Just about EVERYONE is a better choice for President than politicians.
And maybe you couldn't drop us a line, then, as to which one you did buy? You know, so that way when you announce it and the companies stock price goes up, some of us could, you know, have owned a little of it for a while? Eh eh?
(hey, just because you wont milk it doesnt mean I wont)
Tom L.
We have a pretty strict editorial policy here so I wanted to make sure when I did this series I didn't do anything to cross that line. It might not be as fun as doing it "live" but I think it covers the bases without me having to worry about anything.
Dave,
Didn't you fall in love with the online quoting?
All the dealers will reply with much below MSRP within 1 day.
And it cuts the time to travel between different dealers.
However, an Outback is more like a car than SUV, plus you might want to check out the insurance, because I was told that Subaru's insurance rate was kinda high.
What about the new 2008 Subaru Tribeca????
They restyled it and gave it more power. It is a cross-over type and i believe is in your budget. They are on sale now, theres even one on ebay already.