Michigan wllz

Buying a new car can be daunting experience for someone who doesn’t live, eat and breathe this stuff.

Where do you start? There are so many different types of vehicles that even deciding the body style you are seeking can be difficult. Then there are questions about trim levels, engines, transmission choices, not to mention options. Despite all that, some buyers just want to make sure it’s the right color.

Want some input on your next car purchase? E-mail me at laviolette.autoscribe@yahoo.com

My friend, Mark Mayes and his wife, Holly, recently called and asked my opinion about what they should buy to replace Mark’s Ford Mustang, a remnant of his bachelor days.

With two kids, the Mustang isn’t very practical. They need a new vehicle, but what to buy?

They said that they want something with three rows of seats so they can accommodate friends and family. Anyone with more than two children knows that three rows are critical to avoid all of the “He’s touching me!” vitriol coming from the back. Yes, most vehicles have three sets of seat belts in that back seat, but few are willing to utilize that center seat.

Mark and Holly only have two kids, 8 and 14, so my initial suggestion was something like a Ford Escape because it drives well, has a big back seat and plenty room for gear. It’s available with all-wheel drive, an important consideration because they live on a rough dirt road near Eaton Rapids. And the Escape has been on the market for the last eight years so they are available in price ranges from worn out clunkers all the way up to loaded new ones.

I would suggest a station wagon, but the folks in this country have regularly rejected anything that remotely looks like a wagon. While it is a body style that works for me — I have a Subaru Legacy — automakers have found that they can’t sell them.

Anyway, the third row is important to Mark and Holly, so they were thinking full-size sport utility vehicle.

“What about a Navigator?” Holly kept chiming in during our call. They had driven through some used-car lots and saw a Lincoln Navigator that caught Holly’s eye.

Mark and Holly do not have any toys to tow. No boat. No camper. No motorcycles. In the new car reviews I write, I have often said that there is only one scenario where a full-size SUV makes sense. If you have more than two kids and you own a large camper or boat, then by all means, go out and get yourself a Navigator. But be prepared for mega-sized fuel bills that will come as regularly as the tides.

And I’m not talking about the prices at the pump you will pay today. Remember gasoline for $4.30 last summer? If you think that’s never coming back, just wait. Pumping gas into a Navigator at $2.45 per gallon is one thing. Double that price and you’ll start getting a little woozy standing in front of the pump. Would you enjoy plunking down a $100 bill every time you fill up? And that’s going to get you about 270 miles? Whoa.

They also liked a Mercury Mountaineer — a clone of the Ford Explorer. Mountaineers are available with third-row seating, but those rear-most seats are penalty boxes, suitable only for small children. And, while the numbers say I’m wrong, I believe there is more room in the back seat of an Escape than there is in the middle row of a Mountaineer. On top of that, the fuel economy is dreadful since the Mountaineer is also a body-on-frame design. Like the Navigator, if you plan on towing something big, go for it. Just don’t complain to me about the lousy fuel mileage.

That’s when I uttered the most dreaded word in autodom, a word that makes soccer moms everywhere cringe. Yes, I said “minivan.”

Holly doesn’t like minivans. No one who cares about their outward appearances does. Would you rather be seen in a Mazda Miata or a Toyota Sienna? It’s a no brainer. But when it comes time to make the trek to grandma’s, including all three kids, the dog, clothes for a long weekend, plus the end table you’re returning to your mom, well how’s that Miata working for you now? Suppose you could ship the end table and rent another car … what, are you serious?

But here’s the simple fact about minivans: There is no other vehicle design on the planet that offers the usability and flexibility of a minivan. Consider a Dodge Grand Caravan, which mostly has out-of-date engine choices and awful styling, but offers the most useful interior of any vehicle made.

With three rows and seating for seven, everyone fits in one vehicle. Need to move a kid to college? All of the middle- and third-row seats fold into the floor. Presto, instant moving van. And there’s more space inside, too. It can even tow a small camper or boat.

But Holly doesn’t like minivans. OK, I’ve said my piece. Let’s move on.

There is a new generation of vehicles that have taken the industry by storm, going from virtually nil just 10 years ago to an auto industry force today. Crossovers offer some of the best parts of a wagon or minivan, with some of the best attributes of sport utility vehicles. They are a compromise, but one many buyers are willing to make to avoid the minivan stigma.

Consider the GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook/Buick Enclave/Chevrolet Traverse clones. All of them have as much or more room inside than a traditional body-on-frame SUV such as the Navigator, but get much better fuel mileage. As a bonus, they can even tow up to 5,000 pounds.

I suggested to Mark and Holly that they look at the Acadia or Outlook (they might not find many of the newer Traverse on used car lots), but if they were serious about buying something with luxury to match the Navigator, then the Enclave would be a great choice.

There’s a lot to consider when you decide which car to buy. E-mail me and I’d be glad to share my opinion.