Deal breakers?

Local (St. Louis) newspaper columnist Bill McClellan has owned Hondas for years. But that might be about to change. He had his eye on a 2021 Accord Hybrid until he found out…it doesn’t come with a spare tire. Bill is not a young man and the thought of waiting for a tow if the patch kit wasn’t adequate isn’t appealing. So now he’s keeping an eye out for a Camry Hybrid. (I’d post a link but his column is behind a paywall.) What about you? Any particular deal breakers?

Checked out rav4 and crv, ride of the crv was my deal killer. On the test drive rav hardly noticed tar patch strips in the road, crv sounded terrible.

The car only comes in green… deal breaker. I don’t like green cars.

3 Likes

Remembering a car salesman I knew, switched to used cars because more money to be made than new, recall him saying green cars do not sell.

1 Like

Uncomfortable seats. Every once in awhile, you find a vehicle that you just can’t get comfortable in. Do not buy it! It won’t get better.

3 Likes

tend to stay away from first year redesigned vehicles.

3 Likes

For me it would be a low ground clearance and to low seating getting in and out as I am 6ft 2in tall.

2 Likes

And no way to add a compact spare?
My deal beakers: Black or white cars. First year of a re-design. Anything European or GM. Any safety nanny that turns the steering wheel or hits the brakes. Tire profile below 55. Big catfish mouth grills.

2 Likes

It’s a situational color. It works for some cars, but not that many. For a few cars though, it’s a strike against it if it isn’t green. The Bullitt Mustangs, Any classic British roadster, or a deuce-and-a-half.

2 Likes

IIRC, the hybrid battery takes up the well that would normally be occupied by the spare. Still, an enterprising dealership ought to be able to throw in a donut spare and a blanket or something to keep it from rattling around.

Automatic transmission. Just don’t like 'em. Spare tire configuration? Wouldn’t care very much about that.

My wife is the opposite. I tried teaching her to drive my old stick shift Corolla before we were married and it just didn’t work out. Personally, I’m spoiled by cruise control and I’d want any car of mine to have it.

Uncomfortable seats, poor handling, and big mouth grills are my big turnoffs.

3 Likes

Agree 100%.

Our brother-in-law traded in a brand new Hyundai Sonata for exactly that reason.

That’s us. Didn’t learn to really drive till I was @30. Crashed right into a ditch when my boyfriend (now husband) swore I could learn to drive a stick. He loves cruise control, too

I don’t know that there is any one thing for me but a list that I’m looking for like disc brakes, used to be v6, towing, etc. Now my wife says a car must “smile”. Never noticed it before but some cars look grumpy in the front and some seem to smile. The Acura smiles. If they change it to grumpy, that will be our last Acura regardless of features.

Maybe this?

I thought she was doing fine except for when she killed the engine at a light because she didn’t use the clutch. But then later I patted her on the back and her top was soaked. I had no clue how nervous she was.

Yeah but only with some teeth.