- Oct 30, 2004
- 11,442
- 32
- 91
Mini-SUV / Crossover, under 20,000 miles / $16,000
I've never owned an SUV or crossover before, but I'd like to try one for my next car. I rarely go over 5000 miles per year, so fuel efficiency isn't that big of a deal as long as we can stay over 20 mpg city.
Criteria (in this order):
Reliability - Top Priority - I want to own it for years while having to do little maintenance because I'm very lazy and cheap. A trouble free vehicle is paramount.
Cargo Capacity - I might want to haul something now and then like the used treadmill my wife found on Craig's List. 55 - 70 cubic feet with the rear seats down would be nice. It would also be good if the front passenger seat folded down in case I wanted to haul a kayak or some such.
Winter Driving - Sometimes we can get a lot of snow in North Dakota and the vehicle needs to be one that's good at starting up in the cold, but my usage is pretty much restricted to city driving.
Comfortable Ride - I don't need a fast sporty vehicle and I'm not a fan of bumpy rides, though good handling would be nice.
Budget - $16,000, could stretch to $18,000 and maybe 30,000 miles if I'm smitten with something and think it's a good value. I suppose that acceptable mileage is relative to price and amenities and how much I like the model, but I'd very much prefer to get a nearly new vehicle with under 20,000 miles if possible and under 10,000 would be fantastic.
Possible Contenders that might realistically be found in budget (cargo w/ seats down in parenthesis) I don't want any part of Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler/Mitsubishi since they don't meet the reliability criteria.
I'm feeling a little smitten with a fully loaded 2015 Chevy Captiva I found with under 20,000 miles listed for $14k (moonroof / heated seats / backup camera, etc.) being sold by a small local used car dealership in a rural area about 200 miles away. What are reasons for and reasons not to buy it? Is it probable that it was a rental car? Are Capitvas generally reliable? Since it's sold more abroad than domestically, would parts and repairs be unusually expensive? I used to regard Chevys as being junk. Has the build quality changed in the past decade?
Apparently two dealers in the Twin Cities are listing brand new 2016 Chevy Trax LS for about $16,000. Interesting. (Of course, they could just be jerking around with incentives that few people are qualified for.) Same dealer also has a 2016 Buick Encore new for $18,000.
Oh, here's a link to a Cars.com search that covers those models and criteria with in a range I'm willing to shop. I don't think I'm interested in cars with rebuilt titles (see Eastside Auto):
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searc...rMx=16000&mlgId=28867&zc=58103&akamai-feo=off
I've never owned an SUV or crossover before, but I'd like to try one for my next car. I rarely go over 5000 miles per year, so fuel efficiency isn't that big of a deal as long as we can stay over 20 mpg city.
Criteria (in this order):
Reliability - Top Priority - I want to own it for years while having to do little maintenance because I'm very lazy and cheap. A trouble free vehicle is paramount.
Cargo Capacity - I might want to haul something now and then like the used treadmill my wife found on Craig's List. 55 - 70 cubic feet with the rear seats down would be nice. It would also be good if the front passenger seat folded down in case I wanted to haul a kayak or some such.
Winter Driving - Sometimes we can get a lot of snow in North Dakota and the vehicle needs to be one that's good at starting up in the cold, but my usage is pretty much restricted to city driving.
Comfortable Ride - I don't need a fast sporty vehicle and I'm not a fan of bumpy rides, though good handling would be nice.
Budget - $16,000, could stretch to $18,000 and maybe 30,000 miles if I'm smitten with something and think it's a good value. I suppose that acceptable mileage is relative to price and amenities and how much I like the model, but I'd very much prefer to get a nearly new vehicle with under 20,000 miles if possible and under 10,000 would be fantastic.
Possible Contenders that might realistically be found in budget (cargo w/ seats down in parenthesis) I don't want any part of Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler/Mitsubishi since they don't meet the reliability criteria.
- Kia Sportage (54 ft3)
- Kia Sorento (72 ft3)
- Hyundai Tucson (55 ft3)
- Hyundai Santa Fe / Sport (80 / 74 ft3)
- Toyota Venza (70 ft3)
- Toyota Rav4 (73 ft3) - probably out of budget
- Honda CR-V (70 ft3) - probably out of budget
- Mazda CX-5 (65 ft3)
- Nissan Rogue (57 ft3) (2013 and older)
- Nissan Rogue (70 ft3) (2014 and newer)
- Chevy Trax (48 ft3)
- Chevy Captiva (56 ft3)
- Chevy Equinox (63 ft3)
- Buick Encore (48 ft3)
- Ford Escape (68 ft3)
- VW Tiguan (56 ft3) (Reliability / Cost of repair?)
I'm feeling a little smitten with a fully loaded 2015 Chevy Captiva I found with under 20,000 miles listed for $14k (moonroof / heated seats / backup camera, etc.) being sold by a small local used car dealership in a rural area about 200 miles away. What are reasons for and reasons not to buy it? Is it probable that it was a rental car? Are Capitvas generally reliable? Since it's sold more abroad than domestically, would parts and repairs be unusually expensive? I used to regard Chevys as being junk. Has the build quality changed in the past decade?
Apparently two dealers in the Twin Cities are listing brand new 2016 Chevy Trax LS for about $16,000. Interesting. (Of course, they could just be jerking around with incentives that few people are qualified for.) Same dealer also has a 2016 Buick Encore new for $18,000.
Oh, here's a link to a Cars.com search that covers those models and criteria with in a range I'm willing to shop. I don't think I'm interested in cars with rebuilt titles (see Eastside Auto):
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searc...rMx=16000&mlgId=28867&zc=58103&akamai-feo=off
Last edited:
Edmunds TMV price for a basic 2017 red Escape SE, 1.5l turbo, for that zip is $21.5K before tax, title, and doc fees. 
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