Well, the subject line pretty much says it all. I think my wife’s station wagon is about to bite the dust. It’s using oil at a frightening rate (about a quart per month). It’s got nearly 170,000 miles on it and it’s a '95 Ford so that’s pretty darn good for any car, especially Ford, in my experience.
The children are growing fast so we need room for 5 (rarely 6) people who are approaching adult size.
Three rows of seats are preferable, it’s easier for the kids to keep all the touching to themselves (parents will know what I’m talking about).
I think the days are $2 per gallon gas are eternally behind us, $3 gas is here and $5 isn’t far down the road. Fuel efficiency is going to be important.
Nice to have but not required is some sort of towing capacity - maybe 3500 lbs as a max. One day we’re talking about getting a pop-up trailer.
So - suggestions from anybody? I’m the world’s worst car shopper (I just have no patience for it).
On cartalk.com, they have a car-selector program that “interviews” you about what’s important to you, and it offers a list of potential vehicles that might meet your needs. It’s pretty easy to use and it might get you to consider features that hadn’t occurred to you yet.
I have no suggestions, altho I had a '97 Aerostar that I drove for 231k miles before I sold it - I miss that vehicle.
The car I’m looking at is the Tahoe hybrid it gets great gas mileage and can still haul a boat and the people to fill it. I’m not in the market for a SUV right now but whenever I am this is the one I’ll get.
Not sure what your definition of good mileage is but our Ford Freestyle averages 21.5 mpg in mostly city driving and has three rows that can seat either 6 or 7 depending on which middle seat you have. In 70k miles we’ve only had a couple of minor issues. The rear brake pads wear fast and the sway bar links go bad.
Mazda 5. Three rows and up to 28 mpg and as always YMMV. It’s an actual “mini” van like the originals. Zoom-Zoom!
Ford is coming out with a similiar minivan later this year.
With a large passenger load of 5-7 and their gear, if you want to tow 3500 lbs you need a full-sized SUV, and it’s gonna be a V8. We’re talkin’ Tahoe-type stuff here.
Towing capacities go down when you add people/gear. You are looking at something that can haul over 5k lbs and comes with a Class III hitch setup.
You are in V8 territory. Some V6 setups can haul 3500 and more, but you are talking about taking 5+ camping, and I assure you that means 5k lbs and then some.
According to fueleconomy.gov, the Mazda5 is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the “minivan” category. There are also some in the “SUV” category that have 3 row seating, I don’t know about other categories.
Sorry, no towing with the Mazda 5. On the other hand, if you only need towing on one/two vacations a year, renting the appropriate vehicle makes a lot more financial sense. Many used car/truck places rent at very reasonable rates (skip the national chains). No reason to buy the big V8 that punishes your pocketbook everyday just so it’s available for a couple of weeks a year.