Looking for a good everyday vehicle

[roadrunnerman]

The sunday before thanksgiving, my wife was on her way home when a deer jumped out and hit the front of her 96 intrepid. The insurance totaled it out so now we are looking for something else for her. We have looked at a 2007 Chrysler pacifica. The wife really liked that one. Anybody have any other choices that we can look at like Caliber, Journey, Durango. Looking in the 2007-2011 range. Needs to be roomy for when we pick up our grandkids in the summer and get decent gas mileage. Let me know if you have one you like or your opinions on others (good and bad) such as reliability or anything else. thanks for any and all replies.

 

[Propwash]

Sorry to hear it Roger.... I'd vote a Ram truck!

 

[roadrunnerman]

Thanks Will. But every truck I have that she's driven always gives her an attitude. Don't know why. HEHE

 

[Budnicks]

The Durango's are nice, my sisters Candy has a nice one, 2005 IIRC gets decent mileage, for how heavy it is, lots of room, plenty of power, can even tow with it, trailer package, nice styling, but it's outside of your year range thou... I have wanted to get a 98-99 Durango 4x4 version of the 5.9ltr/360ci Magnum, I love my 99 Dakota SLT 4x4 5.2ltr/318ci Magnum, the newer 4dr versions are really nice too, not like a big truck/SUV, not a little truck/SUV, just right & mid-sized, still fit in a smaller garage too... they are also cheap today, $10k or less, even low mileage ones... I like the full frame & V8 personally, not really economical thou, especially if it's going to be a commuter car, but I would put loved ones in them & feel they were relatively safe, better than some of the foreign smaller truck/SUV units/models... good luck with your search

 

[petieg383]

Too bad you're not closer. We're selling our 06 Hemi Grand Cherokee Limited. Although fuel economy isn't it's forte. We're only selling it because it only seats 5 and we needed more room. Sorry to see it go, we loved it.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/4230307576.html

 

[Budnicks]

Too bad you're not closer. We're selling our 06 Hemi Grand Cherokee Limited. Although fuel economy isn't it's forte. We're only selling it because it only seats 5 and we needed more room. Sorry to see it go, we loved it.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/4230307576.html

I always liked the Hemi Powered Grand Cherokee's too

 

[747mopar]

We really love our 2007 5.7 Aspen (Chrysler version of the Durango) but gas mileage isn't it's strong point. My other suggestion you won't like, a Chevy Cruze I know it's not a Mopar but I'm really happy it. This is the first eco car I've owned because I hate small cars but it drives like a midsized car and saved us $350.00 a month. I test drove the Cruze, Focus and Dart and the Cruze was the better of the three plus I couldn't find a totaled Dart. As for room, four comfortably and a big trunk "for a smaller car". I feel your pain RR, my wife has hit a deer with everything she has ever driven.

 

[modernistsouth]

I vote Cherokee. My mother and brother have both been driving Cherokees since the 80's. The 2011 Grand Cherokee can be bought in a 2WD version that's a rear wheel drive, 3.7L 6 cylinder and gets in the mid 20s on highway gas. The family has been very lucky on reliability, and we've always been able to get a good price for used Cherokees fully loaded.

 

[roadrunnerman]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I am reading these so I can get a good idea of what I want.

 

[djais1801]

x2 on the Chrysler Aspen. I bought my wife a used 2008 Aspen AWD Hemi. fully loaded. The 5.7 is more economical and sturdier than the 4.7. We bought at a very decent price w/ 1 owner, and HWY miles. It's got every option under the sun and handles like a car. Not one regret...except the 15mpgs

 

[Bruzilla]

Get her a 2005+ Police Interceptor. Best cars on the road! Plenty of room but decent mileage, heavy-duty everything, coolers for the trans and oil so the drivetrain is designed to last 300k miles, and plenty of power. There's also the added benefits of no one wanting to steal your car, break into your home, date your daughter, cut you off, tailgate you, and drivers are very considerate when you are around. And best of all her worries of getting speeding tickets are about over.

That's a lot of value for a couple grand.

 

[Gpuller]

We have an '07 Durango Limited with a 4.7, pretty bullet proof so far. Bought it in '08 with 18,000 miles, now has 130,000. Oil changes, tires and brakes only things have done to it.
Problems with the Durango's is door bottom rot, and they like to rust behind the rear wheels. Our door bottoms are letting go. Grrrrrr!
Since your in Iowa there will be some rusty ones.
Wife puts on a lot of miles for work, would like to replace it with a new gen Durango but they are holding their value.

 

[roadrunnerman]

x2 on the Chrysler Aspen. I bought my wife a used 2008 Aspen AWD Hemi. fully loaded. The 5.7 is more economical and sturdier than the 4.7. We bought at a very decent price w/ 1 owner, and HWY miles. It's got every option under the sun and handles like a car. Not one regret...except the 15mpgs

Thanks, have been looking at some of those. Yea, 15mpg is not much better than my pick-up.

- - - Updated - - -

Get her a 2005+ Police Interceptor. Best cars on the road! Plenty of room but decent mileage, heavy-duty everything, coolers for the trans and oil so the drivetrain is designed to last 300k miles, and plenty of power. There's also the added benefits of no one wanting to steal your car, break into your home, date your daughter, cut you off, tailgate you, and drivers are very considerate when you are around. And best of all her worries of getting speeding tickets are about over.

That's a lot of value for a couple grand.

Don't know if I want to put her in a police interceptor, since in her younger days it took 4 cops to get her in a police car one time. but thanks anyway.

 

[Gpuller]

4.7 will get 15-18 mpg. Have gotten 19 with it on a long road trip during summer.

 

[roadrunnerman]

We have an '07 Durango Limited with a 4.7, pretty bullet proof so far. Bought it in '08 with 18,000 miles, now has 130,000. Oil changes, tires and brakes only things have done to it.
Problems with the Durango's is door bottom rot, and they like to rust behind the rear wheels. Our door bottoms are letting go. Grrrrrr!
Since your in Iowa there will be some rusty ones.
Wife puts on a lot of miles for work, would like to replace it with a new gen Durango but they are holding their value.

I have been throwing that suggestion around. I can deal with body rust. Anybody know what the mpg is between the 2wd and 4wd is?

 

[Gpuller]

Never seen a 2wd Durango in this area.

 

[djais1801]

i'm sure she'll do better than 15mpgs if she drives normal...i have a HEAVY foot...it also has the MDS which is supposed to cut the cylinders down to 4cyl at 70mph

 

[roadrunnerman]

WE FOUND A VEHICLE FOR THE WIFE

We did look at a '07 Chrysler Pacifica, but the dealer wanted about $1000 more than what the bank was willing to finance.

So the day after Christmas, the wife and I go car shopping. Looked at a private seller that had a Pontiac Montana van (didn't impress me). Stopped at another dealer that didn't really have much to choose from. The next car lot we stopped at had their cars moved forward to clear snow out and we saw a '07 Dodge Durango. It was really clean inside and out. It only has 135xxx miles on it. Took it for a test drive twice so we each could get the feel behind the wheel. It has the room we were looking for, it's AWD/4x4, heated seats (wife really likes that), tires look like brand new. Went to the bank and they gave us the approval for the asking price after the car dealer took off $575 off the top cause I've done business in the past with him. The payment plan we set up is well within our budget. We stopped by our mechanic's place and he was real impressed with it. I'm pretty sure this one is a keeper.