Advise me on new vehicle purchase

[TCO]

Have owned two vehicles in my life. A 1983 280zx and a 1993 300zx. The 93 is showing its age finally. Paint starting to discolor and rings going.

Want to get a new vehicle, but am totally clueless on even what the options are, or what I want.

Like something that looks presentable, but not necessarily a Porshe (looks bad with clients).

Kind of thinking from last few months renting $WD SUVs or even driving trucks at northern job sites, that I could do an SUV or truck. Like the idea of not being snow limited. And space for groceries or to throw a bike in there. But maybe I should do a sedan or even another sports car.

I also have always had a manual transmission, but my understanding is this is no longer standard?

Relatively price insensitive. I'll negotiate away the dealer margin, by getting them to compete. But not sure what I want yet.

1. Should I get an SUV (or sedan or sports car)?

2. Do I need to give up on stick?

3. Any specific models to recommend?

[Jon Miller]

I have owned 3 vehicles in my life.

I recommend Hyundai Accents.

I don't recommend Suzuki Celerios.

JM

[Sava]

Price range?

1. Maybe. What are your needs?

2. Yes. Stick is stupid. (Personal preference though)

3. Toyota Highlander hybrid.

Zero traffic deaths during a recent highway study (can get source later, on mobile now), good performance, good gas mileage for the size/power, lots of space, luxurious but not obnoxious and douchey like a Porsche.

[N35t0r]

1. yeah, think if you really need them.

2. stick FTW. I only really prefer automatics in stop-and-go traffic, which I've luckily managed to avoid on a daily basis.

3. you can't really go wrong with a japanese car.

[Dinner]

Get a Subaru Outback. No, it doesn't have a stick but it does have paddle shifters and it fills all of your other requirments.

[Garth Vader]

I just got a Subaru Impreza and it's awesome in the snow.

[Sava]

snow.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Toyota Hilux. It will last longer than you will.

[pchang]

You might like an army surplus Humvee. http://www.wholesalemilitarysurplus.com/humvee.htm
They have one for a starting bid of $13,866.
You will probably need the hard top kit that goes for another $7500, but you might be able to get away with the simpler rear hatch hard top for just $3150.

[TCO]

I guess I got to figure it out. Seems like a huge project to even know what is out there or figure out what I really want.

Maybe a jeep?

[Sava]

Here's the story about the traffic safety study I was referring to before:

WASHINGTON — As traffic deaths continue to decline, nine vehicles were found to have had no fatalities for model years 2009 through 2012, while three were found to have been involved in more than 100 deaths per 1 million registered vehicles, according to a study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Of the nine safest models, six were SUVs -- Kia Sorento, Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz GL, Toyota Highlander and Sequoia and Volvo XC90. The other fatality-free models over the four model years were the Audi A4 four-wheel-drive, Honda Odyssey minivan and Subaru Legacy sedan.

On the other end of the spectrum, the IIHS found that three small car models had death rates of more than 100 per million registered vehicle years. They were the Kia Rio (149), Nissan Versa sedan (130) and Hyundai Accent sedan (120). The Chevrolet Aveo fell just below the 100 mark with 99 fatalities per million vehicle years.

The chances of dying in a crash in a late-model car or light truck fell by more than a third over three years, and nine car models had zero deaths per million registered vehicles.

The study, which examined fatalities involving 2011 model year vehicles, looked at how many fatalities occurred in a particular model over the course of a year of operation, expressed as a rate per million registered vehicle years. It found there was an average of 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years through the 2012 calendar year, down from 48 deaths for 2008 models through 2009.

Improved vehicle designs and safety technology have a lot to do with the reduced risk, the institute said. But a weak economy that led to reductions in driving may also have played a role, it said.

"This is a huge improvement in just three years, even considering the economy's influence," says David Zuby, the institute's executive vice president and chief research officer. "We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash test performance has been getting steadily better. These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving too."

But the gap between safest and riskiest models remains wide. Three 2011 models had rates exceeding 100 deaths per million registered vehicle years.

The riskiest models also were mostly lower-priced, small cars, while the safest models were all mid-sized or large vehicles.

The nine models with zero deaths were: Audi A4 four-wheel drive, a midsized luxury car; Honda Odyssey, a minivan; Kia Sorento two-wheel drive, a mid-sized SUV; the Lexus RX 350 four-wheel drive, a midsized luxury SUV; Mercedes-Benz GL-Class four-wheel drive, a large luxury SUV; Subaru Legacy four-wheel drive, a 4-door midsized car; Toyota Highlander hybrid, a four-wheel drive midsized SUV; Toyota Sequoia, a four-wheel drive large SUV, and Volvo XC90, a four-wheel drive luxury midsized SUV.

The vehicles with the highest death rates were the Kia Rio, a 4-door mini car, 149 deaths per million registered vehicles; Nissan Versa, a small 4-door sedan, 130 deaths, and Hyundai Accent, a 4-door mini car, 120 deaths.

The institute has published death rates by make and model periodically since 1989, at first for cars only and later for all passenger vehicles. The rates include only driver deaths because the presence of passengers is unknown.

Although the latest numbers reflect 2011 models, the study included data from earlier-model year vehicles as far back as 2008 if the vehicles weren't substantially redesigned before 2011. Including older, equivalent vehicles increases the exposure and thus the accuracy of the results, the institute said. To be included, a vehicle must have had at least 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure during 2009-12, or at least 20 deaths.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/29/study-chances-of-dying-in-a-car-crash-plunged-over-3-years/22521103/