Alright guys, My girlfriend got in a wreck....she's ok, but now it's time for the fun part....picking out a new car.....she wants something she'll feel safe in and should last. She's really looking at ALL cars but is very interested in the honda element and the Jeep Liberty. I think the Pilot is out of her price range. Please let me know what yall think and if you have any other ideas around the 20K mark. I have a TL so I'm really trying to talk her out of an accord so we'll have something 4x4....thanks guys!

 

I would go with Honda CR-V. Good gas mileage among other things. But if she plans to do off-roading jeep liberty would be the one.

 

I hope shes not getting a truck just to fell safe. Thats a huge misnomer.

And if anything, get a Honda. Jeeps in my experiences are POS' but are amazing off road.
Although like RSA said, look at a CR-V over an Element. Elements are nasty looking

 

An 05 Pilot LX can be had for $24K. If you can stand not getting a fully loaded one, I think its a pretty good deal.

 

The nissan frontier isn't a bad choice either???

 

Element is heavy, even in 2WD you can feel the weight when you drive. It's a really useful car, but it's slow off the line. Other than that, I like it, looks and all.

The Liberty is a trucklet, if you will. You can also feel its weight as well. The V6 model is pretty decent off the line, but I don't think you can get that below 20K.

 

I'd get the Liberty CRD, turbodiesel power with 295lbs-ft of torque and better fuel economy then a CR-V or Element. But they're in the mid 20K range.

 

I would have to recommend the korean SUVs...

Kia Sportage
Kia Sorento
Hyundai Tuson
Hyundai Santa Fe...

the new Santa Fe is suppose to come out soon with total redesign...

i think most of the suv's i listed are very reliable, and very nicely priced.

 

Ok here is what I have to say..

No Liberty
No Liberty
No Liberty
No Liberty
No Liberty

And for god sake, No Liberty..... They loose their value soooo fast it is unreal.

We use them for work. The ride like crap. They are small as hell. Just generally uncomfortable...

Go with the Element, if those are your two only choices.. (althought is looks like it came from the movie Kid & Play)

But there are much better SUV's out there if you want to stick that way.

 

Another vote for a CR-V.

 

Go with a CR-V.

 

CR-V/Rav-4

You couldn't give me an Element.

 

Nissan Frontier.

 

anything but an element!

 

Jeep is heavy and guzzles the gas. I wanted to get the wife one too but am glad I didn't.

 

The Liberty CRD will likely hold it's value a lot better just because of the saught after turbodiesel engine.

 

CR-V voter right here.

 

I actually like the CRV. It'd be nicer if it had a J-series powertrain though.

 

I voted for the Liberty, but what about a leftover '05 Pilot (with some crafty dealer-dickering) or a leftover '05 Nissan Xterra?

 

Xterra, if you don't mind a lower trim version
Rav4
CRV
Element

Are all good choices BUT I would second the nod to checking out the Korean selection. Their reliability and polish are light years beyond what they used to be. Plus with the Big 3 "giving away" cars the prices are amazingly low. My biggest gig on the Koreans is gas milage since at their price points and evolution of the brand their engines are a generation behind their Asian cousins in fuel efficiency. I don't know why they kept the Sportage name with its huge amount of baggage but I really like it particularly for the price.

 

It's weird, because we have 2 jeeps in the family, and one of them is and 88 Cherokee with almost 200,000 miles and it runs like a champ.

 

Funny you say that. My wife got a used '95 Sportage EX 4x4 while in college in '00. We still have it and it has 126K miles on it. Still runs fairly strong and up until recently has been damn reliable. I honestly had more problems with me '01 CL than we ever have with the Sportage. It is a solid little ride that is decent on gas. I hate the fact that you have to get a damn v6 engine with the new Sportage in order to get any kind of options. Hopefully they will offer an EX 4 banger in the near future.

 

If you guys are big campers then get the Element. Otherwise, you have no use for a 4x4 vehicle and she should get an Accord.

 

Don't care much for either car, but if push came to shove, I'd go with the Element.

 

Why is this thread still going on? His GF already bought a Liberty CRD.

 

I said it mainly because the Sportage was pretty unpolished in its later hand me down years. The new one is magnitudes better, and statistical reliability for Kia has gone up dramatically.

 

If she plans on hauling stuff and never plans on going off road, get the Element. I really like those... but she's plans on hauling 5 people at a time, get something else.

 

i'd get the NEW Rav 4 if that's possible. Otherwise, guess I'd go with the Element.

 

How bout the new Toyota FJ Landcruiser, it will be out in february if time isn't a huge factor.





Other than that I like the Hyundai Tuscon, has a lot of features for the price and the quality of materials is nicer than some of the older competition.