Reviews on Used Cars

Hi Kelly,

We drove a Mazda 626 literally until it died! When the kids were small and my hubby is 5' 11". But we were so happy with the Chevy Impala we baught in 2001 when the Mazda died we baught another one in 2006.
I have personally never owned (don't know why) a Honda but EVERYONE I've ever known that has owned one loves it and will never buy anything else!

Good Luck.

Lori K

I lease a 2006 VW Passat. Nice ride, great mileage (approx 30-32 highway), stylish, large back seat. If you have a convertible car seat that you want rear facing, you will have to put it in the middle or you'd be way to close to the dash. My only complaint is the seat seemed to break down fast. I have lower back problems so I need a lot of lumbar support that I just don't get from it anymore, so we've replaced it with a used 2008 Toyota Rav4 which I also highly recommend. Try going to Edmunds.com and reading consumer reviews on the vehicles you are considering. I also researched trade-in values to see which vehicle would retain its value the best. Good luck!

My husband I are both tall (I'm nearly 6') and have found that nearly all Chrysler/Dodge vehicles have lots of headroom. I have a Chrysler Pacifica and love it.

We bought an 08 malibu this year for its MPG and I love it. We only have 2 kids though. You couldnt get 3 carseats in it. I also had to make sure my big ol stroller fit in the trunk and it does. Its a nice car.

Hi Kelly!

Good luck on your search! Two used cars that come to mind that are great cars (sedans) are the Nissan Altima and the Honda Accord. My husband is 6'2 and he was able to fit into these cars no problem. We LOVED our Altima. Good gas mileage and fun and sporty to drive. We have actually owned 2 Altimas. Good luck!

We recently had to get rid of our GMC Yukon because of an accident but I can tell you at nearly 140,000 miles it was still running like the day it came home. IT ROCKED! And the gas mileage wasn't bad, SERIOUSLY! For a family car that isn't a minivan I LOVED the Yukon SUV...we even bought it used and never ever had a lick of problems with it! VERY comfortable drive and we were lucky b/c it was a bank excs car so it was all top end leather pkg, heated seats...just totally ROCKED! We bought a new Chevy Suburban which is a sister to it but I still miss my GMC...probably just in my mind though.

One thing I will caution you on...DON'T get the car with the built in DVD player if the player drops down in the middle of the ceiling...it' makes using your rearview mirror darn near impossible! Never thought it would be a problem until we went on vacation...man that really sucked! AND make sure you get the headphones to go with the DVD player so that you can still listen to music and NOT have to listen to whatever the kids are listening to...there IS a limit to how much you can listen of that stuff! LOL

Go to Craigslist.com and look up used cars.

I highly recommend the Nissan Altima. My husband and I have a 2005 and we love it! My parents have had 2004 and 2006. My dad was in a very serious car accident in the 2004 Altima. After seeing pictures of the car, no one could believe he only ended up with some scrapes, bruises and a broken arm. Naturally they bought another one after that.

Just go take the day tomorrow and go test drive a bunch of different things and then get online and go to http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com to do your research about your favorites. We bought a used car a couple of months ago and this site was a lifesaver. And the best part is it is all free info. It gives you the stats on any car as well has potential problems that have been reported on those vehicles. Good luck and have fun shopping! Oh, and you will get a better price if you DON'T finance through the car dealership. Go to your bank and get pre-approved before you start talking numbers if you are going to be financing. You have more bargining power that way. And I have to second the craigslist.org. We found some REALLY good deals going through individuals instead of dealers.

Kelly,

My dad is very tall and has to purchase rental cars quite often due to his frequent business trips. He said that the best car that he has driven is the Cheverolet Impala. It works great for his size as well as a great family vehicle. He said that he wished that he would have bought that car instead of the one that they recently purchased. Also, he said that it drives very well.

I love my Ford Freestyle (now renamed the Taurus X). It is like an SUV, but it is built on a Volvo CAR chassy (sp?)so it's low to the ground. I have the basic model, and it has all the bells & whistles. It seats 7 people but completely folds down for hauling things.

Definitely check out Carmax. They are great to work with and you really have endless options since you can get a car from any of their places across the country. We bought a Ford Freestyle a few months ago and love it! It gets pretty good gas mileage (we get about 18 in town and 23-25 on the highway). Also, it has the third row for extra kids, or just extra cargo. Good luck!!

Hi kelly,
Not sure what yr your TL was, but the newer ones are much bigger on the inside than they used to be, so your husband might want to try one of them out if you guys liked the car otherwise. (I have a TL and love it) Also, I highly recommend Honda Accords, though they're pretty similar to the TL, but again the newer models are much bigger on the inside than they used to be. What about a Honda CRV or an Acura RDX? Might have more head room. As you can tell I'm a Honda/Acura girl myself. I've had 4 in my lifetime and have never been disappointed with them.

my dad (car guy) always advised that we get the 'consumer buyers guide to automobiles' it has ratings on every car on the market, with specific information on each year and other qualities. if it's rated well in there, it's a good buy. i don't buy one unless it's rated well in the guide.

not sure any car is comfy with someone tall. We have good luck with our vehicles but mostly buy stick shifts and they do last longer. We have a Cavalier with 180,000 miles on it that hasn't needed anything but oil changes and regular maintenance. It gets 30-35 mpg no matter how you drive it. Have a 94 truck with 240,000 miles on it with regular maintenance. gets 16-20 mpg also have a trailblazer with an automatic which we love the ride and comfort but hate the terrible gas mileage average 13 mpg and has transmission issues already with 65,000 miles on it so will be our last automatic and have put some parts on it already. Had a sunbird with automatic in it (30 mpg) and got 145,000 miles before the timing belt went out then replaced a lot of parts trying to get the timing right but just didn't run well after that so we sold it.
as far as a comfortable car probably a impala or Dodge Intrepid would be good sized cars for someone tall. My brother is tall and loves his intrepid and it gets around 27 mpg and he has around 200,000 miles on his. My parents also have the intrepid and like it.

Sorry I don't have a review, but I have found edmunds.com a very resource site to see.
You can search used and new cars along with the average price.

I drive a 2001 Chevy Malibu and we love it. My husband is kind of tall as well and he doesn't mind drinving it all. The good part is that we really haven't had to put money into beside the normal oil changes, tires, and things like that. They say Malibu are good cars to have. My mom has one, my sister had one...we haven't had any troubles with any of them. Hope this helps! Good Luck in your adventure to by a new car!

I recently bought a GMC Acadia. I love it! Saturn also has a sister vehicle. It has eight seats and when those are folded a ton of storage. Plus with a car seat in the second seat you can still put to adults.

kelly, i bought my S. "new" car this summer, although the first was an impulse/desperation situation so i don't really count that one. this time i was VERY prepared and knew exactly what i wanted, and how much i could spend. my advice is look up every single website you can imagine. edmunds.com, kbb.com, even carmax.com (although i wouldn't buy from them, they're really overpriced from what i could tell- but a GREAT way to see lots of models and compare them). i deleted all my sites off my favorites when i got my car, but i literally did four or five months of reseach before i started actually "shopping". have two or three models you like and go test drive them. as much as you can, research, and you'll be SO much happier. the harder you work before you buy, the happier you'll be with the car. good luck!

Good Morning Kelly, I have a 2001 Malibu LS, the drivers seat goes up and down, back and forth, with touch of a button. Our Eldest son is tall, 6'1 and he puts the seat back as far as it goes. I can't even come close to reaching peddles after he has driven.

This is my second Malibu LS. Two Car seats fit well in the back seat. The back seat can separate through the trunk if you are wanting to tote something long.

I would like to have a Vue? My sister in law has one and I really like the space it has. I would call it Nana's Taxi lol
If it would fit on the plate. I can only take 4 of my 5 gr kids at a time.

Good Luck on your search, we got my car at CarMax in Wichita.

K.
Nana of 5

We were in your position a year ago and ended up buying a 2002 Honda CRV. We LOVE it. It drives great and is just the right size for my husband, 1 year old daughter and I. The back is perfect for storing a stroller and groceries. It also has a fold up table built in for tailgating or camping. And it's great for trips because you can lean the passengers seat down all the way, take off the head rest and it makes for a nice place to lay down or stretch out your feet. My husband is 6'4 and has no problem with feeling uncomfortable.

You MUST consult the April issue of Consumer Reports. Nissan Altima, Acuras and Honda Accord/Civics are extremely reliable and fuel efficient but everybody knows that, so that good reputation drives up the price of those used cars. Malibus have a poor reliability track record.

The best combo is a reliable car that no one suspects is reliable, like the Mercury Milan or Ford Fusions. '05, '06 are the best reliability on these models, and they are in the 12-18k range. If you're looking for luxury, check out the Infiniti G35 from '05 or '06. that should keep the Hubby happy ;) (24-30K)

Edmunds is also a critical tool when pricing vehicles.

My husband is 6'7" and we bought an '04 Buick LeSabre in January. We love it. It is very roomy. It is still a luxury car, but also a great family car. They are also pretty cheap as the model has been discontinued and there are so many used models on the market.

I would like to suggest you http://usedcarsite.com.au/
..Here you can find the best deal on used cars with affordable prices..

We have a ford taurus 4 door sedan, and my husband hardly ever rides with me b/c he's so tall his head touches the ceiling. Otherwise it's a nice car. :-)

I know you said a car and not an suv, but I have a Honda Pilot that I love, love, love. My husband is in the car business, he's general sales manager at a nissan store, and we have driven just about EVERYTHING! lol and the Pilot has been my favorite by far. It gets great gas mileage and has room for everything and then some and it seems that all the storage is in the right place too ya know? The only complaint I have is the the cup holder in the back doors is in the door b/c when you shut the door your drink splashes. Also, I have the XL (or EXL ?) with the rear entertainment system and the radio controls aren't on the steering wheel. I'm sure that's standard now, this is an 04. Leased it and decided to keep it after the lease was up.

good luck!

Jenn