Looking for a New Car - Any Suggestions?

I absolutely love my V6 Oldsmobile Alero (2004). They no longer make them, but I heard that the Pontiac G3 is very similar. You can also try shopping around at www.carmax.com. You can input what you are looking for and it will show you things that they have and it will give you an idea of what's out there. If you see something you like in a different area, they will transfer it to Utah for a small fee.

I would personally recommend a BMW. Safe, fast and relatively good gas mileage. My BMW handles wonderfully, is very comfortable, the sound system is unbelievable (I do have the premium sound system) the heated seat are great for our cold climate too! Sure they are a bit more expensive, but they hold their value much better than American made cars and most other imports. With proper care they also last longer. Note that most BMWs are rear wheel drive which is not the greatest in the snow, but the xi have all wheel drive. Another bonus of buying a pre-owned BMW is that most BMW owners take better care of their cars. Mine is nearly 9 years old and it runs and looks fantastic.

Whatever you get, make sure you go with the leather seats! So much easier to clean than cloth.

Happy car hunting!

We have an Audi A6 and it is wonderful! They are a higher priced car- but you get what you pay for. It's big enough for a car seat in the back, and still leaves room for two more backseat passengers. It has 4 wheel drive, so it is great on the snow! It's a fantastic car... I highly recommend it. We also have a Volvo... I drive the S40, which I love, but that may be too compact for you. It fits a carseat in the back, but that doesn't leave much room for a front passenger. I think very highly of Volvo, so I would recommend any of their cars. In fact, I'd like to get the wagon in the next year or so.

I just read some comments on the BMW and one person said that Eurpean is the way to go. I totally agree! I haven't driven a BMW, but from my experiences with the Volvo and Audi, I can tell you that I will never buy anything but Eurpoean again.

Good luck!

We are looking at getting an HHR. I also don't like driving mini-vans, huge cars, etc. but this was great. It felt like there was a lot more room in it than there was in my car (sedan), and I really liked the way it drove. Gas mileage is pretty good too.

My grandma has a Jeep Compass, it is almost imposible to instal a car seat, even with the latch anchors.

We looked at Trailblazers, HHR's, Envoy's etc and ended up with a Saturn Outlook. What can I say...we have had it for 8 months now and I absolutely LOVE it. It seats 8-comfortably. The middle row slides forward and backwards to make more room were needed. The 3rd row adults can actually sit in and it isn't horrible for leg space. We get 17+ miles to the gallon and it just seems like there is storage all over throughout the vehicle. 3rd row access is super easy, you pull a tether and it folds up the small middle seat and slides forward. Middle row can also be 2 buckets if you rather. Built in DVD player with wireless headsets if you want them. The thing we liked the best when we compared Acadia, Outlook, and Enclave is the price. You can get the Saturn model more dolled up for the base price of one of the others. I was really impressed with what a great thing Saturn has going these days. Not quite the "we have shopping cart dent resistant doors" that the company first came out as. I have as much room as a mini van but I would never own a mini van so this is what we got. Also ranked high with consumers reports.
The third row can also be laid down flat for more storage if you only need two rows. The middle row also folds up and slides forward, I saw in a couple of reviews people actually got washers and dryers into them to haul home. I do the side by side comparisons at the manufacturer sites and they had the most for inside leg room hip room etc, even though they are virtually the same size outside as some of the others.
I also live in Michigan and it has driven awesome on the snow. It is seriously like driving a lux. car rides really smooth. Love it love it and love the service team that we deal with in Okemos,MI. They go above and beyond, recognize me by name and my car gets free washes whenever I get through there.
We would buy it again a million times over. Plus-if you get a GM discount-they work for Saturns too.

Below are some links to check out reviews... Good luck in your search-
C.
Mom to Two beautiful boys 3 and 4 months and 3 large retrievers (Yea! We can all go to the park together again!)

http://www.caranddriver.com/buyingguideuserroadtest/2007-...

http://www.edmunds.com/saturn/outlook/2007/review.html

BMW!!! I can not even tell you how much greater European cars are. Go drive one, you'll fall in love. They are a bit on the pricey side, but you can get used ones for a reasonable price & European cars last much longer than any other car. We have a 5 series BMW and it just feels so solid, I seriously feel like I could get in an accident with a semi and be fine. My mom has a Volvo which is the same sort of feeling, we also looked into those (I liked the heated steering wheel option in the BMW). Volvo tilts the engine so if you get in a head on collision you won't die... just break your legs. I guess there is a "my Volvo saved my life" club. On the other hand, my husband sold cars for Honda for awhile, so I used to go test drive cars for fun. I really liked the Honda Pilot for an SUV. Don't worry about the domestic/foreign thing, because most foreign cars are actually built in America so you're still supporting American workers. Definitely go test drive a BMW though, great cars!

I LOVE my Mitsubishi Galant. Its 4 doors, yet its stylish/luxurious and its fast! Its family/luxury/speed all in one. I now have 150,000 miles on it and it still runs like a charm. Haven't had a problem yet!

My choices personally would be something with a high re-sale value, usually if the car has a high re-sale value, its because its a great car, I dont like to knock on vehicles, but I worked at a dealership for over 4 years, one was an Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Saburu, the Other was Dodge and Toyota. I got to know from the Mechanics,New and used car sales men what are and are not good re-sale cars and why. Also working in the service department, I saw the service tickets on vehicles, so I'll tell you my choices, Toyota, Honda, and I agree with others BMW and europian vehecles are probably your best car, if you dont want to spend a whole ton of money, I'd stick with Toyota or Honda.
To many times you can get "More Car" for your money with other vehicles but they are always in the shop. I will NEVER buy a Dodge unless I need a 1 ton Truck. Even then I'd buy a Toyota Tundra.
Look into consumer reports and ask your self what you want to get out of the vehicle when you sale it. I sold my 99 toyota for way over blue book (5500 dollars) in 45 min of posting it on line where other vehicles the same year were posted for 2 grand and had been sitting for a couple months online.

Good luck car shoping.

P.S. Dont let Great Warranty's Fool you, There good to have but not if its because you need them to keep the car running.

We owned a Dodge Charger Hemi (with 8 cylinders) and it was my favorite car by far. It was extremely powerful but completely safe--airbags all around. It had plenty of room in the back seat and trunk and got about 24 mpg on the highway (not that great around town, though). It is a fast car (but you don't have to drive it that way, unless you're having one of those days :O) and a fun car. The stereo rocked! My 7 year old was very upset when we traded it off for a Dodge Avenger (we moved and our income changed so the car payment had to go!). We'll all be excited to see what you get!

We have a Jeep Grand Cherokee LArado..and I LOVE IT!!! We bought it used, so its a 1999 and we are saving to buy a newer one in the future. It gets good gas mileage and it is 4-wheel drive all the time (thats an option you can choose i believe) It is great! I had a Jimmy before this and it did nto even compare. I would suggest test driving one and seeing what you think.

We've been looking at the Chevy Trailblazer and they seem to be good in the snow, good gas mileage and enough space for a family of 4 not to feel crowded.

I say a Grand Prix--it sounds like everything you want, and it's American!

Honda all the way. We've have had a civic for so long and it's never had a one single problem, we've been amazed with it. We just bought a 2nd car a week ago, needless to say it was another Honda (accord). Ask any mechanic, they'll tell you Honda has the best record. They have an excellent reliability rating and are just overall great cars. They always top the top 10 list of consumer reports as well.

I love my Hyundai! They have great warranty and gas mileage -- in fact, the best warranty we could find at the time.

We are in the same position, and I have narrowed down my choices to used subarus, volvos, and hondas.
We are looking for a small suv, for an active family, that has relatively good mpg.
I also like fast, but compared to our '95 jeep, anything will be better. :)

Look into the Honda Element. It is a fun vehile. Roomy. Easy to get the kids into. And if they spill or have mud on their shoes... no problem... Just take the hose and rise out the car. I have owned 3 of them. The last I had to sell because of a divorce and now I am driving an Accord. But I am planning to get another Element as soon as I am able. I work with Matt Sokolowski at Honda. He takes really great care of me.