New car advice

[Robin Hood]

Looking for a little help from any petrol heads here.

I'm buying a new car and have narrowed it down to the following:
1. Ford Kuga (Ford Escape in the US)
2. Volvo XC60

Both are 4WD, high specification models.

I asked Maid Marian but she wasn't particularly helpful.
Thoughts?

[skmo]

Looking for a little help from any petrol heads here.

I'm buying a new car and have narrowed it down to the following:
1. Ford Kuga (Ford Escape in the US)
2. Volvo XC60

Both are 4WD, high specification models.

From the country which gave the world the Land Rover, and you're thinking about a 4 wheel drive Ford? I'm not sure that isn't blasphemous!

Both have been well reviewed, the Ford isn't as high on safety, the Volvo isn't as high on reliability. If the warranty on the Volvo is decent, it seems the better choice. Better to have repairs done to the car than the passengers.

[skmo]

By the way, just to know my biases, they're equal. I've always been a Ford fan (I've had a F series truck and a Mustang) and a Volvo fan (one of my best friends in High School drove a Volvo and I loved it.) I don't usually get into the usual flame wars with gearheads. They often have brand loyalty which blinds them. I see good and bad in all, and I make my choices off the review of numbers across the board combined with my own judgment of which features I like better.

[Robin Hood]

Looking for a little help from any petrol heads here.

I'm buying a new car and have narrowed it down to the following:
1. Ford Kuga (Ford Escape in the US)
2. Volvo XC60

Both are 4WD, high specification models.

From the country which gave the world the Land Rover, and you're thinking about a 4 wheel drive Ford? I'm not sure that isn't blasphemous!

Both have been well reviewed, the Ford isn't as high on safety, the Volvo isn't as high on reliability. If the warranty on the Volvo is decent, it seems the better choice. Better to have repairs done to the car than the passengers.

Thanks for the response.
I drive a Landrover Defender at work. Goes anywhere but wouldn't buy one for family motoring.
Would happily have a Range Rover Evoque, but would have to hold up a bank in order to obtain sufficient quantities of the required medium of exchange.

I like the Volvo very much. However, the driving position in the Ford is better, especially for Maid Marian. And Ford are introducing a facelift Kuga/Escape in October, so tempted to wait for that. But current car on it's last legs and may need to go before then. Tricky.
Volvo available now.

[Ezra]

New cars are the worst investment you can make. The moment you sign papers or drive it off the lot. You have just lost a few thousand in value.

Buy a slightly used vehicals that are still under warranty.

[gclayjr]

Ezra,

I generally agree with you. However, the depreciation, financing, and other economic factors vary from country to country. So what is patently obvious here in the U.S, may not apply in Britain. Britain has much higher taxes on new cars than we do here in the U.S. So if that tax doesn't apply to used cars, it might actually make even more sense to buy a used one there than here. I just don't know the British market.

Also, a rich guy like Robin Hood, might just like the new car smell, and the that feeling of newness and that nobody else has owned it except himself. And that brings us to the REAL answer. Both Ford and Volvo are good brands in Britain, and car decisions are 99% emotional, so which car do you LIKE the best?

Regards,

George Clay

[Joel]

Do they have the Lincoln MKC in the UK? That is like a nicer trimmed out Escape here in the US. I think it looks better than the Escape. If it is available in the UK maybe that could be an option to go take a look at if you are not completely sold on the Volvo. The Volvo would be a good option though.

[Silver]

Stupid people buy new cars so smart people can buy used cars.

[gkearney]

Looking for a little help from any petrol heads here.

I'm buying a new car and have narrowed it down to the following:
1. Ford Kuga (Ford Escape in the US)
2. Volvo XC60

Both are 4WD, high specification models.

I asked Maid Marian but she wasn't particularly helpful.
Thoughts?

I have always had good luck with Volvos but I don't buy them new however. I'm not willing to take the kind of financial hit you get with a new car.

[Robin Hood]

Thanks folks.
I too usually buy used cars, but on this occasion I'm going for new.
I have good reason for doing this, which I can't go into here.

The Volvo is a little more expensive, but in my experience you tend to get what you pay for.
The mpg is about the same, both averaging 54 miles to the gallon.

I suppose the real question for many posters here is..... which is more likely to survive an EMP strike! ;)

I'm going to get Maid Marian to try the Volvo again. If it's still a "no" then I"ll go for the Ford Kuga and wait until October. The reason for waiting is that there are a few things that irritate me about the current model, and they are all addresed by the new one. It's almost as if Ford consulted me first.

Just hope my current car can keep going in the meantime. Perhaps I could drop some consecrated oil into the engine ;)

[Dubs]

Escort....crap, literally the 2nd worst car owned, besides.... the Focus...crappier. Taurus...crap. F250 powerstroke...crap. Family has purchased enough to have real world experience that Ford sucks.

Also, with statistical data provided by the dealers themselves based on repairs, Ford wasnt impressive. They were just ahead of Dodge, but below Chevy. Acura was 1, Lexus 2.

But In the end...go with whatever one you like best.

I should add...my Honda is about to hit 200k miles and my Silverado is nearing 150k....time for new vehicles, but no car payments feels good.

[Robin Hood]

Escort....crap, literally the 2nd worst car owned, besides.... the Focus...crappier. Taurus...crap. F250 powerstroke...crap. Family has purchased enough to have real world experience that Ford sucks.

Also, with statistical data provided by the dealers themselves based on repairs, Ford wasnt impressive. They were just ahead of Dodge, but below Chevy. Acura was 1, Lexus 2.

But In the end...go with whatever one you like best.

I should add...my Honda is about to hit 200k miles and my Silverado is nearing 150k....time for new vehicles, but no car payments feels good.

So I take it, out of the two, you'd go with the Volvo?

I should mention that both cars come with a 3 year warranty. I will trade in and replace at that point.

[Dubs]

If both have a warranty, go with the one you like best.

[Thomas]

I have bought new cars for the same price that 2-3 year old used ones were selling for. Used is not always the best option but can be.

The right vehicle can be had for quite a discount when manufactures are giving rebates. Volkswagen,for instance, has recently been offering up to 30 percent off the MRSP. You will find 3 year old used cars, with 30,000 miles for the same price.

[Thomas]

About ten years ago, I bought a brand new Chevy truck. Got about 25 percent off due to a rebate. I owned the truck for 2 1/2 years and sold it for $500 less than I paid.

[Robin Hood]

I have bought new cars for the same price that 2-3 year old used ones were selling for. Used is not always the best option but can be.

The right vehicle can be had for quite a discount when manufactures are giving rebates. Volkswagen,for instance, has recently been offering up to 30 percent off the MRSP. You will find 3 year old used cars, with 30,000 miles for the same price.

I spent 12 years as a salesman, many moons ago now.
I didn't sell cars but I understand the principles.
Sometimes, as long as you know what you're doing, and more importantly understand what the salesman is trying to do, you can negotiate a really good deal on a new car.

Always aim for the end of the month when volume targets have to be met, better still the end of a quarter. And the trick is to be prepared to walk away and to make sure the salesman knows it.

[Robin Hood]

Maid Marian has now officially vetoed the Volvo.
So it looks like it's the Ford Kuga/Escape now.
Although the Nissan Qashqai looks like a good deal....... :-\

The good news is my old Renault has passed it's MOT (road safety test) so I can now take my time.

I think I was beginning to suffer from what you Americans call "analysis paralysis" :-s

[Robin Hood]

Spoke too soon.
The Renault won't start this morning! Typical French car.
You can always rely on the bloody Frogs to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[gkearney]

Volvos seem to always start even under the worst condition. Your wife should reconsider.

[Robin Hood]

Volvos seem to always start even under the worst condition. Your wife should reconsider.

I know, but she is adamant.
She's quite a small woman, and the Volvo didn't fit right.

Any opinion on the Koreans, i.e. Kia; Hyundai?
Others thoughts?

P.S. Please, no VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes. I'd rather nuke Germany than buy their stinking cars. ;)

[Robin Hood]

Late surge from the Skoda Yeti.
Do you have Skoda in the US?

[jbalm]

Nope

[EmmaLee]

Although the Nissan Qashqai looks like a good deal.....

Never heard of a Nissan Qashqai, but my spousal unit has driven a Nissan Pathfinder for many years and absolutely loves it. It's now got well over 200,000 miles, and has only ever been in the shop a few times in over 10 years. Most reliable vehicle we've ever owned. So, in general, we'd definitely recommend a Nissan.

[David13]

The Euros have all kinds of cars that we would never know existed. Skoda is one. Made where, Romania?
My favorite was (is) the Skoda Breva.
Nissan, Honda and Toyota are your best bets, I think.
But get what you want. Don't get what I want.
Used can be good in motorcycles, but not necessarily in cars.
Cars are always in high demand.
If someone has a good car and they decide to move up, that car will go to a (if it's any good) son, daughter, niece, neighbor boy or girl, friend, son or daughter of a friend, etc., before it sees the used market.
A lemon goes to ... you guessed it, the used car market.
So you are taking a risk.
Motorcycles are different.
There tends to be less demand.
Someone, maybe later in life decides that riding a Harley or a BMW motorcycle will be "cool" "chick magnet" etc., and buys one.
When they find out what it's really like out there they tend to never use the bike. After one or two or three years, and no miles on the bike, the wife says, why don't you sell that thing, you never use it. So they do.
Voila. Barely used, slightly old, perfect condition bike at a reasonable, or bargain price.
Cars don't work like that.
dc

[Col. Flagg]

New car advice? That's easy... don't! They are WAY overpriced, made more cheaply nowadays, they are far too automated for things to go wrong and will cost you an arm and a leg to fix when they break and dealerships know how to take advantage of buyers. My advice... go for something well under $10,000 off a website like KSL.com - just find something that looks like a good deal, test drive it, take it to a mechanic to have it checked out before you buy, run a Carfax report on it and then pay for it with cash if possible. Anyone paying over $300/mo. for any vehicle is crazy.