Hi Wonderful Car Talk Community!!! You all are always sooooooo helpful!!!
I am on the cusp of purchasing a new car.
My Toyota Corolla has 210,000. The check engine and air bag lights are on and my mechanic has explained that the issue with the check engine light can not be fixed. Therefore, the car will not pass its next State inspection. I wish I could wait for the late 2014 re-design of the Toyota Corolla wagon but it looks like I can’t.
I need a hatchback this time. I am a Realtor and have to shlep a lot of signs. I also have to have space for my father’s wheel chair. Further, I have to clean out 50 years worth of stuff from his house. The regular compact hatchbacks (Focus, Matrix, Impreza), etc. do not have enough space. This is the only reason I am deciding between two much bigger vehicles (the Prius V and the Honda CRV).
I would definitely lean towards the Prius V because of the 16 mpg difference in its favor but have CONTINUOUSLY heard that it is very unstable in heavy rain and snow. I am a nervous-Nellie driver so that concerns me.
I realize that the Prius V has only come out this year so no one has likely encountered too much snow yet. However, if you have one, would you please give me its pros and cons and please definitely address its performance in the rain and snow.
I suspect that the low rolling resistance tires may have something to do with road handling in wet conditions. If you really need to drive when it snows or in heavy rain, consider a Subaru Outback.
The CEL problem can’t be fixed? That’s very surprising. I can’t imagine there’s any problem with a car that can never be fixed. After all, cars are just a bunch of metal, nuts, and bolts at their basics. It can all be fixed. If it’s too expensive to fix the engine – I assume that is what the mechanic means – you can always simply replace the engine. That’s usuallya very reasonable price option for a car like a Corolla, since so many of them were made. If you prefer to keep the car I mean. You can buy a lot of replacement engines for the price of a Prius V. And you could be in line for what you really prefer, a 2014 Corolla wagon in the meantime.
Having just gone through the “50 years of stuff in my parents home”, have you considered a dump truck? My full size SUV-truck has taken so many loads to recycling, Goodwill and the landfill that I’m on a first name basis with ALL of them. I agree with GeorgeSanJose, ANYTHING can be fixed on a car. It just takes skill, time and money. Find a new mechanic, fix the Corolla and rent a dumpster…
I went through that “50 years of stuff thing too” a few years ago. I started by making a big pile, soon decided this was a bigger problem than a pile would solve, and had a dumpster delivered to the driveway. Still not enough. It took 3 trips by dump truck hauling the dumpster to the dump and bringing it back. I had to bribe the dumpster driver to come back first thing every morning for three days in a row! It’s all a less than pleasant experience, back breaking work, and all the stuff bring back memories etc, but once you get started tossing into the dumpster, it becomes s easier than might at first be expected.
I’ve seen those dumpster bags advertised on TV where they give you those large bins and you schedule a time for pick up and they’ll come haul it away for you.
Also, check out the Mazda CX-5 if you’re considering the CRV. It offers better mpg than the CRV
I GREATLY APPRECIATE all of you taking the time to give me your thoughtful, considerate and experienced insight about both my car and the situation at my Dad’s home. I feel lucky to have found such a high quality community where to seek advice!!!
One recommendation I have is to sit in the back seat of the two vehicles you are considering. This is important if, as a realtor, you drive clients around to look at houses.
As far as cleaning out your father’s 50 year accumulation, I’ve been through that with my parents and my wife’s parents. In the case of my wife’s parents, we rented a dumpster. They didn’t buy much, but didn’t throw anything away. We did this in 2003. We even came across an aftermarket car radio for a 1941 Chevrolet–the car my father-in-law bought when he returned from service in WW II. I now have a 50 year accumlulation of junk in my garage. I am trying to sort through it to see what is worthless, what someone might want and what I can sell. It isn’t an easy task. I thought I had just saved valuable things after cleaning out my office when I retired after 44 years with a university. What I saved wound up in our garage and I now see that I should have thrown out even more.
We bought a Prius v to replace our CR-V last spring. It has at least as much interior room as the CR-V - both storage and rear seat. We put 8,000 miles on it over the summer, and love it so far. Can’t say anything about snow from personal experience, but we talked with two Prius v owners here in Oregon before we bought it, and both said they were very pleased with winter performance - even with daily 50-mile commutes in snow and ice. I plan to buy a set of winter tires on rims soon, as winter approaches, but that might be too late for your timeline!
