What kind of car should I look into?

Question

I get an awesome discount with Ford, GM and Chrysler from my company. I am trading in a 99 saab. I drive a lot and we have a child so its important to have saftey and a backseat. Also live in Alaska so I need something good in snow and we get us around with ease and in one piece. i have never baught an american can before. Always foreign. I am scetchy about them. I do like the Ford Fusion but I HATE ford cars. HELP ME OUT!!!!

Answer 1

Why hate Fords? I have a '98 Mustang with 134,000 miles on it, runs perfectly, doesn't leak oil or blow smoke or anything horrible like that. I bought it 8 years ago and it's still my daily driver. Since you have a kid I wouldn't suggest a Mustang for you, I'm just saying despite the myths that just won't die, Fords and GM overall are just as good as any other car. Every brand has their lemons, they're not all perfect.. the one Honda Accord I used to own was a total POS, it spent more time on the mechanic's lift than on the road. I ditched it at a loss and ran away from it. If you buy any brand car, have it checked out before you buy it, and then maintain it properly (and that's not just oil changes!) then odds are it will last for many years, whether there's a blue oval on the trunk or not. Search "ford and jd power" or "ford quality" on yahoo and tell me what you see. You'll see articles like this one, that say "Ford beats Toyota in quality rankings."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19073071/

Answer 2

get one of those buick enclave. or something from gm. and saab is owned by ford.

Answer 3

I would recommend a Pontiac Vibe AWD - it has a very fuel efficient Toyota built powertrain.   You may also check out the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass, and Ford Edge.  These are all smallish crossovers that are suprisingly useful and all get excellent MPG.  You mention the Fusion, and that seems to be a pretty good car as well.  In general, I would recommend GM and Ford over Chrysler, and use the following websites to guide your shopping:

www.fueleconomy.gov

www.crashtest.com

By the way, Saab is owned by GM, not Ford.

Answer 4

Do not buy a Chrysler, they are junk.  I would say a ford Escape is a good choice on the safety, fuel economy, and good in the snow side.  Also a Chevy Equinox.  Good Luck.