New or Used: It's Hip to Be Square?

Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
by Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang

TTAC commentator Philosphil writes:

Hello everyone,

I’m looking to replace my 03 Jetta wagon soon and have test-driven many vehicles. I have periodic back issues and so want a vehicle that has easy ingress and egress (so that ideally I neither have to climb up nor drop down when entering or exiting the vehicle). I’m about 6’, but have a relatively long upper body. I’m also looking for something in the $17,000-$20,000 range (Cdn, or about about $15,000-$18,000 US). Of the cars I’ve tested so far, the ones that seem best suited to my needs are the boxes (to my wife’s dismay–they tend to have the largest opening between the driver’s seat and the top of the door sill). I would also like to keep this car (and actually like it as well) for 8-10 years.

So my question is which of the following vehicles would have a better chance of being an enjoyable long-term keeper (with a projected low cost of ownership as well): 1) A gently used Honda Element, 2) 2012 Kia Soul (with new 2.0l engine and new transmission), 2) 2011 Nissan Cube, or 4) 2011 Scion XB? Thanks in advance for everyone’s input.

Sajeev answers:

What an interesting query! Definitely stick with the boxes.

And here’s where I wish I actually had press cars. While I’ve driven none of these, I personally like the Kia Soul the best in terms of styling, as the Nissan Cube is far too Avant Garde for a vehicle I’d actually own. That said, the Cube Krom is a cool little ride, and its about as boxy as you can get. You definitely need to spend a long time test driving each of these vehicles to see which one will be ideal for your back.

My biggest concern isn’t the feel of the transmission, fuel economy or what have you. I am worried about long distance comfort in the seats. Considering I found the Soul’s seats to be pretty comfy and their warranty/pricing is pretty decent (even in Canada) this might be ideal for you.

Steve answers:

This is purely a styling exercise for the most part. All of the vehicles you mentioned should do a very good job of keeping egress and ingress on the quick and painless. In fact, I personally preferred to have my own sciataca suffering Mom consider one of the vehicles you mentioned instead of simply choosing another Camry.

The Soul strikes me as having the right balance between contemporary tastes and an easy compact size. However all the ones you mentioned should be easy to own and keep as well.My advice is to simply try them all for an extended period as Sajeev mentioned. You may want to even go so far as renting one for a day if you can get access to one that would be available. I don’t believe any of these models have substantial fleet sales. But you may get lucky.
Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang

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  • Supremebrougham Supremebrougham on Mar 20, 2012

    I know you said you found the best car for you, but seeing how there are many of us out there that have problems getting in and out of cars, I am going to throw this out there...the Chevrolet HHR. Yes the styling is controversial, yes they just discontinued it. But by golly that was one of the easiest cars to get in and out of! When I bought mine I was looking for something that would be good for me with my bad knees and it suited the bill perfectly. However, if one was to go with one, it must be a loaded 2LT, it's a completely different and vastly underated car compared to the plain models. If I could afford it I wouldn't mind having another one...

  • FJ60LandCruiser FJ60LandCruiser on Mar 20, 2012

    An import s***box like the Cube/xB/Soul won't last 8-10 years, unless you garage it and drive less than 4 miles a day. You'll wind up replacing every bit of those things to keep them running once the warranty runs out. There's a reason they sell them so cheap.

    • See 1 previous
    • Toad Toad on Mar 20, 2012

      @Truckducken +1. What do those darn Asians know about making simple, durable cars?

  • THX1136 Always liked the Mustang though I've never owned one. I remember my 13 yo self grabbing some Ford literature that Oct which included the brochure for the Mustang. Using my youthful imagination I traced the 'centerfold' photo of the car AND extending the roof line back to turn it into a small wagon version. At the time I thought it would be a cool variant to offer. What was I thinking?!
  • GregLocock That's a bodge, not a solution. Your diff now has bits of broken off metal floating around in it.
  • The Oracle Well, we’re 3-4 years in with the Telluride and right around the time the long term durability issues start to really take hold. This is sad.
  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
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