We've had the exact opposite experience with our '07 Sedona.

140,000 miles and I've done nothing other than oil/bulb/fuse changes (Oh, and a TPM sensor...but that was my wifes fault ). I'm literally *trying* to kill this thing and it just. won't. die. The plugs *gotta* go at some point...but it continues to be the wifes daily driver. I would have no reservations about buying an Optima or Forte.

We bought a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid in December, and with the exception of it being a little out of the price range, so far it has been a *great* car and has exceeded my expectations of what a Ford could be!

I agree, etrigan. My last two cars before the Chevy were Kias, and I had every satisfaction. (One died from a suicidal deer, I sold the other because I was out of a job). And, drillbit...I live in Southwest Washington. Air-conditioning IS an accessory, not a necessity.

I am also from western Washington however seeing as Washington has what one month out of the year that is warm. you look at most every other brands warranty they cover A/C oh ya and it went out at 40,000 miles and of all things the clutch plate sheared off. Timing belts changes for kias from the dealership run $1000. seeing as their engines are interference motors meaning of your timing belt goes the pistons slam into the valves effectively destroying the motor. Now depending on which motor you get you may get lucky and get a timing chain (that was the smartest thing kia ever did) however those are recommended to be changed every 125,000 miles. For a Kia Optima at least a 2007 with a 4 cylinder you have to remove a motor mount to change a serpentine belt. then there is the fact that kia's claim to get amazing gas mileage however from 2011 to 2013 kia and Hyundai (owned by the same people) overinflated their gas mileage claims and are now being forced to reimburse the buyers .

as with every company they have their problems some people go hundreds of thousancds of miles on dodge transmissions with no problems however there are people who have had horrible problems with them hence the stigma.

now its up to the op what he decides he wants to do im just giving him my opinion just like you guys are giving yours, the beautiful thing about the modern age of technology is the ability to have a lot of reviews and information at your fingertips. personally I look at the whole picture not only the purchase price of the vehicle but the repair costs as well as insurance and reliability of said vehicle. unfortunately I allowed my wife to pick out and purchase the car (a mistake I will not make again either lol )

also im not the only one that has problems with kias
http://www.pissedconsumer.com/reviews-b ... otors.html

Um. You are, uh, aware that the OP and I are married?

What we decide we want to do.

Thank you for your input, we appreciate it. Really.

No I didn't lol sorry ... good luck whatever the outcome may be

Not a Volkswagen here but my suburban is over 350,000 miles and still pushing strong. If you really put on a lot of miles I would say a diesel is definitely worth looking into. The other little things that go wrong are nowhere near the cost of replacing the engine or the whole car when you put too many miles on a gas engine. And just remember, "the rest of the car" won't be any better with a gas engine.

My Silverado has over 200k miles on the original engine and still going strong. Good maintenance goes a long way, even for a gas engine ;-)

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

Mazda 6

Here is our "new car" journey:

About seven years ago, we bought our daughter a 1993 Honda Accord, with 160,000 miles. It had been meticulously maintained, with all supporting documentation. We paid about $4k. She put another 200,000 miles on it without a hiccup. We kept up the maintenance, including timing belts, etc.
The car was rear ended recently, and the insurance company totaled it out, and paid out $4k. Gas mileage was in mid twenties. The payout offset the purchase price. Total cost of ownership was low-maintenance, tires, and gas.

Fast forward to several months ago...my wife's car bit the bullet, and we found ourselves in the market for a new car. Based on the success with our daughter's Honda, we decided to follow the same path.

Our initial parameters: Honda, 100,000 miles or less, and less than five years old. Must have supporting documentation for maintenance. Our choices were Element, Pilot, or Odyssey. The search began...

First we looked in the Puget Sound area. Then, we expanded the search to eastern Wa. Ultimately, we ended up finding our vehicle in Portland.

We found a 2008 Honda Element, 97,000 miles. Every factory recommended service for the past five years had been performed, and documented. No accidents.

They are fairly roomy inside. Mileage is a steady 20mpg. (Unless we buy gas from the grocery store with the big red S...then it drops by 2mpg).

An aside:

I'm a huge believer in service/maintenance. Cars that are serviced routinely last longer, run better. Integral to that is the service provider. Our daughter's car had been serviced by the same shop since 1996, which I'm guessing is about the time the factory warranty ran out. We are continuing the tradition, and our Honda is being serviced by the same shop. Fully expect to get the same lifespan out of the Element.

Good luck with your search.

2009-2012 Subaru Forester. OK gas mileage in the non-turbo (21/27), good in wet/snow. Decent seating. Easy to get in and out. Good load space.
$15-21k used depending on age/miles.

VW TDI
30's in town 40-50+ Hwy depending on model

dodge dart or avenger

http://www.dodgechryslerjeepofkirkland. ... RAM-Dealer

I got 48-50 out of mine no matter how I drove it. City or Highway. Damn I miss that car.

Our TDI gets on ave 43mpg. Can't same the same for our Q5 :(

sent from a typewriter not a samsung galaxy s3.

This is a pretty old thread.
Greywolf, Mercy, what did you end up with?