Car Shopping in 2023

It's new car buying time in the Wisdumb household.  Well, not "new" new (you've read my financial advice on cars, right?).  And not exactly "buying time".  Rather, it is time for the prep work to figure out what steed to add to our stable when the first Wisdumb young'n reaches driving age next year.  Boy am glad I'm starting early; finding the right car seems more difficult now than it has ever been.  This post is going to explore why I'm having such a hard time finding the perfect car.

Is it me?

You have likely figured out by now that I am very particular about product features, and my desires often run counter to the mainstream.  I blame the mainstream for that, not me!  Things I want in no particular order:

• Good Highway Gas Mileage
• Reliability
• Good towing capacity (3500lb min, 5000lb preferred)
• Minimum 35 cu ft usable cargo capacity with 4 passengers.  >40 preferred.
• Wireless Android Auto
• Heated and Ventilated Seats
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Good Ground Clearance
• All Wheel Drive (locking differentials would be a nice bonus)
• Good Looks
• Price

You will notice horsepower, speed and handling are nowhere on this list, yet that is where manufacturers, car magazines, dealers and the general public tend to put their emphasis for all cars, even utility vehicles.  The Wisdumb family spent a month this summer driving 10K miles in a 2009 Toyota Prius on a cross-country jaunt visiting family and a whole bunch of national parks.  The trip was fantastic, though four of us in a Prius loaded with a roof box full of camping gear was less than ideal.  Much of the list above is based on what I want in a vehicle for our next grand tour.  Another set of the requirements comes from my desire to help my son's Scout troop with their camping adventures (hauling scouts and potentially their gear trailer).

Gas Mileage

The poor Prius when saddled with a roof box lost much of its efficiency.  Back East we got about 36mpg compared to about 50mpg normally on the highway at ~70mph.  When we got out West with less cars (think less drafting) and 80mph speed limits, the mileage could drop as low as 30mpg.  Those numbers are in the same range as some big hybrids like the Toyota Sienna Hybrid or Highlander Hybrid.  I put 35mpg on the highway as my ideal goal for my next vehicle and 25mpg as the minimum.  Those levels would be less efficient than the Prius with roof box, but it would be much easier to load and unload our camping gear in a minivan or 3-row SUV.

Reliability

Even though I am getting pretty good at fixing old cars, I don't want to have to fix them.  I also don't want my car to strand me someplace and have to spend a lot of time and money dealing with repairs.  The brands known for reliability have a leg up here with Honda and Toyota at the top of the list.  Since that is very limiting, I am open to other brands with OK reliability provided parts for them aren't too expensive.  This pretty much eliminates all British and German cars for me despite my great desire for them.  My heart is sold, but my wallet has the veto power.

Good Towing Capacity

I have a utility trailer that I use fairly often for hauling everything from bikes to dirt.  My old Element only has a tow rating of 1500lbs.  I occasionally exceed that by a lot on the half mile trip from my local dirt seller with a yard of loam.  Then there is the scout trailer that can weigh over 2500lbs when loaded.  Having the option to tow that would be nice.

Cargo Capacity

I estimate the combination of Prius and roof box gave us about 32 cu ft of cargo capacity.  That was a tight fit and we couldn't even bring everything we could've used.  Thus, 35 cu ft is my absolute minimum with 40 or more desired.  This pretty much means I am looking at a 3 row SUV or a Minivan.  I'm a fan of station wagons (like the Volvo XC70) but they can't meet these numbers.

Interior Features

Android Auto-  I have never used this, but I assume I want it.  My phone stuck in a holder plugged into a power cord communicating with a bluetooth receiver plugged into a power cord and plugged into the aux port of the Prius served as the navigator and entertainment center on our road trip.  It worked, but was cumbersome and lead to a rat's nest of cables running through the car.  

Automatic bluetooth pairing of my phone to the new car's touchscreen so I don't even have to take it out of my pocket would be ideal.  One caveat- the system has to work well.  I have no patience waiting for touchscreens to respond.  I'll have to remember to check for ease of use on my test drives.

Heated seats are pretty standard on all but the lowest trim levels of most cars (or at least options that most buyers choose in my area, so used vehicles tend to have them as well).  Ventilated seats are my dream, but unfortunately, they are only offered on the highest trim levels of most modern cars.  Those trim levels bring lots of stupid stuff like 50 series tires on 20-inch wheels.  Apparently if you don't like a sweaty back, you have to like replacing pothole damaged tires?  I won't make this requirement a showstopper, but when comparing two cars, if one has ventilated seats and the other doesn't, that could sway me.

Adaptive Cruise control seems to be pretty standard on most trim levels of late model cars.  I will miss the games I had to play to try to manually dial in my cruise setting to stay an appropriate distance behind a car in front of me with its cruise control on out on the wide-open roads of the West.  But I won't miss it that much.  Bring on the automation!

Ground Clearance

A fully loaded Prius does not have enough.  We scraped bottom a lot on our summer adventure pulling onto pull offs, parking on the side of the road and even aggressive speed bumps in parking lots.  Our trips often take us off the paved roads.  Mostly the dirt roads are in good shape but now and again we end up on a heavily rutted road where more ground clearance is necessary.  Some of my local birdwatching pullouts have some nasty roads into them.  The Element can handle them OK, but I wouldn't attempt to take the Prius down them.  Most SUVs are probably fine in this respect, but a minivan worries me a bit.  I did see there are lift kits available for Toyota Siennas...

All Wheel Drive

I live in a hilly area where it snows.  AWD provides good peace of mind that I can make it home when things get sloppy.  The Prius has gotten stuck on a very slight incline on our driveway when it was icy.  My old FWD Civic Si had to be pushed out of snow and mud a few times.  I don't want to worry about that kind of stuff.  An SUV that still maintains some semblance of offroad capability with locking differentials is nice-to-have that might let me venture deeper into the backcountry on questionable fire roads.

Good Looks

Sadly, I don't think I'm going to get my way here.  None of the good-looking vehicles meet the rest of my criteria.  Instead, I am sorting through 30 models that all look pretty much the same on the outside.

Price

As little as possible to meet the requirements above.  A 2021 or newer Toyota Sienna Hybrid can meet most of my needs, but used ones with 50K miles are going for more than the MSRP of new ones!  I can't see spending $45K on a (supposedly) depreciating asset.  A used car with 80K miles or less and a price under $25K is the sweet spot.  I may spend more if I see some value there.

The Contenders

Here is where things stand today.  Via my usual spreadsheet tracking feature comparisons, I have narrowed the field down to approximately 10 choices.  As I write this I have yet to go test drive any of them.  Hopefully I can start working on that today if it stops raining to help winnow the list down further.

Toyota Sienna (2021-Today)

The Sienna has gone all hybrid from 2021 on and gets incredible gas mileage (35 highway!)  The cargo space is larger than any 3 row SUV and a 3500lb tow rating is acceptable.  It has AWD available and can be had with ventilated seats in the upper trims.  The only requirement it misses on is ground clearance, though there is a Woodland Edition that adds an inch or so of clearance.  Or, as mentioned previously, there are lift kits available 😁.  The only reason I am not running out and buying one now is because the prices for used ones are stupid.  For example, a 2021 Platinum trim (with ventilated seats) had an MSRP of $51,115.  Searching for used ones around me returned 7 to choose from with mileage from 13K to 38K and asking prices ranging from $52,228 to $59,647.  Folks, cars are supposed to lose value as soon as you drive them off the lot.  I have no idea what is causing this bubble in Sienna prices, but until it pops, I won't be buying.  Or maybe I should just buy a new one, drive it for 30K miles and then sell it for more than I bought it for.

That is the only minivan on my list.  None of the others approach the mileage of the Sienna, so I would be better served by a 3 row SUV with more ground clearance and towing capacity.  The difference in price can buy a lot of gas to make up for the mileage difference.

Kia Telluride / Hyundai Palisade (2020-Today)

These two stablemates get a lot of great press for being a good car and a good value.  Car and Driver especially loves the Telluride.  These two meet most of my requirements, though they technically fall a little short on highway gas mileage with an EPA rating of 24mpg.  They are also holding their value very well in the used market, which is a bit of a problem.  A decent used one is running in the $32K-$35K range.  Maybe those will come down somewhat in the next year.  I'm really interested to drive one to see why it is getting such rave reviews. These two SUVs look pretty decent and are a bit more distinctive than most of the competition.

Honda Pilot (2016-2022)

The previous gen Honda Pilot might be a good option, though it isn't very exciting.  Some of the technology in these may be a bit dated compared to newer models, but if that gets me a more affordable car, maybe I can live with it.

Chevy Traverse (2018-Today)

I'm hesitant to include a GM product on this list as I have never been impressed by one.  The interiors feel very plasticky and cheap and they have not been known for reliability.  I'm willing to give the Traverse a chance and at least test drive it.  It has more cargo space than any other cars on this list (except for the minivan) and just ekes out a 25mpg highway rating.  They also have a bit lower price point in the used market and parts for it should be inexpensive when it does break down.

Mazda CX9 (2016-2023)

Before the Kia Telluride came along, this was Car and Driver's pick of 3 row SUVs.  I think they are biased by the Mazda zoom-zoom handling rather than the utility, however.  This car only marginally meets my cargo space requirements with 38.2 cu ft of space behind the second row.  It also doesn't match the towing capacity of most other SUVs and can only accommodate 3500lbs.  On the plus side, they are one of the less expensive used cars on this list.  It will be interesting to test drive one and find out if the better handling will justify the other shortcomings.

Nissan Pathfinder (2021-Today)

The latest Nissan Pathfinder looks like a great vehicle.  There doesn't seem to be a large market for used ones, so their prices are relatively affordable for a car only a year or two old.  This car not only boasts a class leading 6000lb towing capacity, but it is apparently the only one on my list maintaining some vestige of off-road capability with locking differentials.  Even more amazing is it does this while still getting a 27mpg highway rating.  The infotainment system and interior features seem to be the weak point of this vehicle.  

Nissan Pathfinder (2013-2020)

This previous gen Pathfinder makes my list for much of the reasons above but at an even lower price point.  On the downside, it loses 1000lbs of towing capacity and 1mpg on the highway, it looks kind of ugly and has an outdated infotainment with no android auto.  But if my unwillingness to waste money on cars wins out, this may be the direction to go.  Update-  after checking a 2018 Platinum model out in person, I find I quite like this car.  My statement above is wrong about it losing towing capacity compared to the newer model.  With this trim it is still rated for a class-leading 6000lbs.  The lack of Android Auto is the biggest downside.

Subaru Ascent (2019-Today)

This may be the sleeper of the bunch.  Decent used ones can be had for less than $30K.  The exterior is kind of blah, but the interior seems nice.  A 5000lb tow rating and Subaru's AWD system are both good.  26mpg on the highway isn't bad.  Apparently, the early production was plagued by recalls, so I don't know if this car will meet my reliability standards.

Toyota Highlander (2020-Today)

While there are hybrid versions of this vehicle, I am not including them here- they are as expensive as a Sienna hybrid with less cargo capacity and slightly worse gas mileage.  If I were going to spend that much, I'd just get the Sienna.  But there are non-hybrid versions of the Highlander that can be had for less money.  They still get a decent 27mpg and have a 5000lb tow rating.  Like the Honda Pilot, this car is kind of nondescript (codeword for boring).  Maybe test driving will convince me it is worthy.

Volvo XC90 (2016-2019)

The late model XC90 would be great.  Especially the plug-in hybrid version.  Unfortunately, these make the Sienna look cheap.  The previous gen made from 2016-2019 may still have something to offer in the used market at reasonable prices, however.  They have a 5000lb tow rating, get 25mpg on the highway and, apparently have nearly an inch more ground clearance than the other SUVs on this list.  Two inches if you can find a model with the adjustable air springs.  The downsides of this vehicle are it is somewhat expensive to repair, doesn't offer ventilated seats and has a dated infotainment system with no Android Auto support.  (Note, my source on this may be wrong or may only apply to the lower trim non-hybrid versions because at least one owner has told me their 2017 T8 has ventilated seats and Android Auto.  I will have to dig deeper as that could elevate this car on my list.)  I test drove an early 2000's XC70 years ago and loved the seats- they were probably the most comfortable I've ever sat in.  If that continues into these cars, they will make a great long-distance tourer.

What Next?

Did you notice in the comments above that no vehicle was perfect and met all my needs?  It's frustrating!  Now I have to choose between lesser options.  Why are there no other hybrid vehicles like the Sienna and Highlander than can have good gas mileage along with lots of space and usable towing capacity?   Does the mainstream buyer really care more about 0 to 60 time than mileage?  Is it because every other company is focusing on fully electric vehicles rather than what I need?   Maybe someday we will have the battery technology and charging infrastructure to make a cross-country road trip in an EV something other than a hassle.  We aren't there today, and there seems to be very little innovation in the hybrid area in the meantime.  Even most of the PHEVs that are popular today do great in the city, but once you exhaust the battery and get out on the highway, their mileage drops to the same as most other non-hybrids.  Toyota seems to be the only company who has figured out how to make a big vehicle get good mileage.

I hope to get busy test driving the various cars above in the coming weeks so I can at least narrow the list down to one or two that I can focus on.  Then it is a matter of waiting for the right used one to come to market so I can pounce on it.  Also, maybe I've missed something.  Perhaps the perfect vehicle is out there, and I just haven't found it yet.  Leave any recommendations in the comments below!