Elaine lives in The Big Easy, and her Hyundai Accent Hatchback is a little worse for wear. He wants to replace it with something that’s also easy to park, but also has better ground clearance for the worn, wet streets of New Orleans. Which car should I buy?
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Here is the scenario.
Looking to replace a 2016 Hyundai Accent Hatchback that has seen better days. Living in New Orleans, I need something with high ground clearance (to avoid flooding AND potholes), but also reasonably priced. My experience with car repair goes as far as replacing windshield wipers, so anything low maintenance or easy to wind up in the shop is better.
A good sized trunk would be nice for carrying gear bags for my girls rec soccer team or big Sams shopping, but otherwise nothing too big. Floor clearance is the main factor for me. I’d also prefer something a little low-key as carjacking is quite rampant in the city.
I have a budget of up to $30,000, but I don’t have electric vehicles because I have nowhere to charge it.
Quick Facts:
Budget: up to $30,000
Location: new orleans
Daily driver: Yes
Flight: Ride height, reliable, not flashy
Does not want: OR THIS ONE
Expert 1: Tom McParland – The benchmark for a reason
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Getting a small hatchback with some lift isn’t much of a challenge, but the devil is in the details. Many automakers offer similar products at this price point, but you’ll want to dig into the specs to see which offers the best combination of height and cargo space. The Subaru Crosstrek boasts the highest ride height of the bunch with 8.7 inches of headroom. However, its 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats isn’t very generous compared to the new Honda HR-V.
You really can’t go wrong with it Subaru, however, and there’s an updated model coming to showrooms soon. It’s not a “fun” car, but it will do the job you need it to do well. With a starting price of around $25,000, fitting one into your budget shouldn’t be a problem, but you might want to stretch your dollars a bit and go for the Sport model with the larger 2.5-liter engine which offers the small crossover a little more. pep to pass by road. Add a sunroof to the Sport, and it’ll set you back $31,000. If you don’t want to wait for the 2024 car, the current model isn’t dramatically different and you can score one with a solid color right now.
Expert 2: José Rodríguez Jr. – Try the Corolla Cross…trek
Cheers to NOLA, Elaine, home of America’s best food. I stayed Parish of Lafourche and Terrebonne as a child and visited New Orleans often with the family! I can see why you want ground clearance, but since you’re in the city, I’d rather recommend something like the Toyota Corolla Cross 2023 than, say, a Toyota Tacoma, which has a generous 9.4 inches of headroom.
Also, a quick disclaimer: Toyota will release one Corolla Cross Hybrid in the near future, but we don’t know what the price of the new hybrid will be.
In any case, the Cross of the Corolla has the same ground clearance (8.1 inches) as the Toyota Rav4. Toyota designed the Cross of the Corolla given a higher ground clearance and seating position, and the difference between the Cross and the regular Corolla is appreciable. But the Cross is still a Corolla, which means you’ll have a reliable, unassuming vehicle that will fit all your gear and groceries.
A new Corolla Cross starts at around $23,000 (excluding delivery), so you’ll be comfortably within budget. I recommend going for a higher trim, such as the XLE, and suggest going for an AWD model. These will send up to 50 percent of available torque to the rear wheels, making the Corolla Cross feel quick and capable. You’ll also appreciate the better traction when it rains in Cajun country. Good weather!
Expert 3: Andy Kalmowitz – Add some zoom to your life
Elaine, the two vehicles my colleagues recommended are excellent choices. Really, if I could have gone into this post and given my recommendation earlier, either of these two would have been my top choice. But here’s the thing: they beat me to it. So we’re getting a little creative. I give you the Mazda CX-30.
I haven’t driven this car exactly, but I have driven its big brother, the CX-50. It’s an excellent vehicle, and from everyone I’ve spoken to, the CX-30 has much of the same charm and capability. One thing is absolutely has an advantage over the first two vehicles is its appearance. The CX-50 is a nice little crossover. It certainly feels more premium than its $22,000 base price would suggest.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if it was also a better handler than these other cars, as that’s the Mazda way. This probably matters to you since you’re asking Jalopnik what car you should buy. Unfortunately, that good handling means you’re trading some headroom. It only has 6.9 inches of ground clearance compared to 8.1 inches in the other two cars, but that’s just fine. I promise. It’s still more than enough to handle the bumpy roads of New Orleans.
So Elaine, my dear friend. Buy the Crosstrek or Corolla Cross, but if you don’t want to, buy the CX-30. You won’t regret it in any way.
Expert 4: Collin Woodard – Be the queen of anonymity
Elaine, I’d love to suggest something cool, like the previous generation Infiniti QX50 I found near you, or a 90’s Suzuki Jimny. But something tells me you don’t really want a built luxury crossover on a sports car platform or a right hand drive import with questionable reliability and parts availability. And there is nothing wrong with that.
So you want something that works reliably and is less likely to get stolen. I say get lost in a sea of anonymity. Buy something you can easily lose in a parking lot. Buy something so common that you could drive back to where you parked it and have to check the license plate to make sure you’re not trying to break into someone else’s vehicle. Get a Honda CR-V.
Now, if you’re ready to buy new, you’ll need to get a base CR-V with front-wheel drive to stay within your budget. With destination, a CR-V LX with all-wheel drive will be $1,205 too expensive. But I’d also say a new CR-V will stand out more than you’d like. Instead, go ahead and get the previous generation. This it may have more miles than you expected, but it’s well within your budget.
