Car Buying Advice

I can't really provide any input on a compariron between the 3 you mention because I've only ever looked at the Matrix.

As an FYI though, this month's Consumers Reports lists the Ford Focus as having the highest reported rate of problems for any new car (2005 models). They managed to come in with an astounding 75% of customers reporting problems with them. The 2004 Focus came in at a still pathetic 55%.

Quite true. The Matrix is also a bit unsettling being a joint venture with GM. Its the same as the Pontiac Vibe in almost every way. The Kia has a great warranty, but from what I understand, you'll be using it.

Have you considered the Corolla or Camry? I know New Hampshire winters can get brutal, but 4wd is not really an on-road thing like so many think it is. I grew up in PA and lived there until about 3 years ago, and you know what my winter vehicle was? A 96 Impala SS, RWD, V8 with Z-rated summer-only 285 tires. If it was bad enough that I couldn't go out, things were closed anyway. I can think of a rare few occassions where some Blizzak tires on a FWD car wouldn't be the exact ticket, and in fact my wife's Tercel was equipped as such and she bailed me out more than once

For fit and finish, you can't beat Toyota and Honda. I have seen some hopeful things from Scion (being a Toyota-based company) but I'm going to withold judgement on them for a while longer.

I can see that 4wd may provide a little more confidence in NH compared to PA, but it is a mileage killer. Expect a couple MPG less in a 4wd or an AWD car. Then think back to the actual number of times you put that Jeep in 4wd last winter.

Have you considered the Jeep Liberty with the TDI? The TDIs are getting 40-50 mpg in their Jetta donors. Probably at least 30-35 in the Liberty. Not to mention you'll be helping the atmosphere, getting a more reliable powerplant, skipping out of any smog checks, and getting more torque.

Here are my suggestions (noting that they don't include any of your original cars just to confuse you more)

-Liberty TDI
-Camry or Corolla with a set of 4 Blizzaks already mounted on wheels
-Prius Hybrid with blizzaks
-Accord (maybe hybrid) with blizzaks like above
-CRV or RAV4 ... both coming out as hybrids soon

Those would be my first choices for high-mpg winter commuters. The Prius is probably the smallest of the bunch, but some of those others can be had as a wagon. I'm not a fan of the Jeep Liberty's fit and finish, nor am I a huge fan of the TDI's electronics, but if you want 4wd and fuel economy its the way to go.

Subaru!

Forrester, or Legacy wagon. The new Legacy loaded up is a really nice car. Subaru has improved the interiors quite a bit.

Plus they're reliable, better on gas than an SUV, and AWD.

I was just thinking about the Subarus myself Slappy! The Outback or the new Tribecca would seem to fit the bill although (just guessing here) I think they'd be a pretty good sized jump up in price.

Subarus are higher in price than I am looking at - otherwise....

My work vehicle is a Focus wagon. It's OK. It's not had any recalls yet, anyway. They made it pretty user friendly. CD storage in the dash and plenty o'beverage holders. It has more pep than you would expect.

What about the Impreza? I'd still go with one of those over a Ford in a heartbeat(no offense to anyone). Then again, I'm going solely on reliability...don't know how they compare driving-wise.

The Matrix may not be a bad option either, except personally I think they're ugly as hell. They come in AWD as well.

Don't completely knock out used cars either. You can find a one/two year old with low miles still under factory warranty, and you save some $$.

Kind of sucks, the wagon market is pretty limited in the US.

Mazda 6 comes in wagon too...don't know the price though.

RAV4
My sister has about 85,000 miles on her RAV4 with litterally zero problems. All she has had to do is replace the tires and brakes. That's it. It's never been in for warranty work and the only time it's ever left her stranded was when she got a blowout on the highway. It's AWD and has yet to get stuck, even here in New England.

They start around $19,000 and get about 27 actual MPG highway with AWD. My sister verified it. She loves it. This is the first car she's ever had that she plans on running into the ground. She is usually one of those three year trade in people.

My daughter has an older Celica which runs great and gets terrific MPG but it's small. That has 174,000 on it. Still no major problems. I would get a Toyota myself but I need a truck that can haul more than a Toyota can really handle.