Hi. I'm pregnant with our first child after a miscarriage in December. So far our due date is Nov. 12...but I won't be surprised if it gets moved back a little.
I am needing some advice on vehicles. Unfortunately I need to trade in my Honda CRV for a car that gets great gads mileage. My husband is determined to find something that gets 25mpg or better. Of course I want something that is not too low to the ground and that will fit all of our baby gear. We are looking to lease something new. Any ideas!
Re: New/need advice
This is the car I currently drive... so I can't be of any help...
Leasing is a great idea if you enjoy taking it up the ace. You lose so much money leasing.
OP, I drive a Toyota Highlander and love it! It gets about 24 to 25 highway and about 20 to 22 city.
IMO...
Leasing is to keep up appearances, and I would never lease. You have nothing to show for it when you're done. I hope you're not considering that route.
I drive an '03 Honda Civic and it still gets 30 mpg. With that said, we've looked for new vehicles but don't want to bite off a new payment right now. I have a friend that has an Equinox and loves it.
OP, I drive a Toyota Highlander and love it! It gets about 24 to 25 highway and about 20 to 22 city.
I think you take it up the ace no matter what when it comes to cars. Yes you are left with nothing at the end of a lease but you also have to consider when you buy a new car it's value drops significantly. I've Bought a new car ever 3 years from the time I was 16 and still have nothing to show for it. Yes I chose to buy more often then the average person but I used to put over 25,000 miles a year on a car. Now DH and I have a different life style and I am not traveling as much for school or work so after meeting with my accountant it makes more scence for me to lease a car with little to no money down based in credit with a payment if 179 monthly for 3 years rather then buy the same car with a payment of 380 for 5 years. Everyone situation is different. I do not currently lease but I've been looking into it as an option to cut back in monthly costs once baby is born.
I think you take it up the ace no matter what when it comes to cars. Yes you are left with nothing at the end of a lease but you also have to consider when you buy a new car it's value drops significantly. I've Bought a new car ever 3 years from the time I was 16 and still have nothing to show for it. Yes I chose to buy more often then the average person but I used to put over 25,000 miles a year on a car. Now DH and I have a different life style and I am not traveling as much for school or work so after meeting with my accountant it makes more scence for me to lease a car with little to no money down based in credit with a payment if 179 monthly for 3 years rather then buy the same car with a payment of 380 for 5 years. Everyone situation is different. I do not currently lease but I've been looking into it as an option to cut back in monthly costs once baby is born.
This is terrible logic. If you took out a 5 year loan, your vehicle would be paid for and all yours after 5 years. If you do a 3 year lease, you either have to buy it out, trade it in for a new lease, or trade it in for a new purchase. You would be back to square 1. If you are putting on far less miles now, why wouldn't you buy and keep the vehicle for a lot longer and actually get something out of it? I purchased my Highlander 2 years ago for 43,000, paid it off in a year and a half, and now drive it with NO payment. If I had leased it, I would still be making payments. Seems like a nobrainer to me. I guess I just prefer to not have to make a car payment the rest of my life, which is basically what you are doing when you lease.
We have a Volkswagen Jetta Wagon TDI (diesel). We average around 40 mpg, sometimes better, sometimes worse. It is kind of low to the ground, which isn't exactly desirable, but they do sell a 2" lift that you can put on it. My husband just installed it on ours, and it has made a world of difference.
We'd thought about getting a newer vehicle, but we're not really wanting a new payment. Good luck in your search!
This. Also, if you're buying a new car to save money on gas, do some math to figure out when you will break even on new car price vs getting a few less mpg. Usually the break even is years and isn't worth it.
I drive a gas guzzling SUV but seriously only drive 3 miles a day. Maybe 10 when I run errands.
My theory is, the more room you have, the more junk you pack. I've done fine packing a Mazda 3 for a 5 day vacation with our daughter. It just makes you realize what's really necessary and what an be left at home.
Plus the more you pack, the more you need to unload and then repackage when you leave.