Practical Questions

[orichalcum]

1. Neither cerebralpaladin nor I have ever actually bought a car. If one were planning on getting a used car (in the Bay Area), where the priorities were safety, reliability, reasonable gas efficiency, and a size large enough for 2 adults, 1-2 children, and a golden retriever, what would you suggest and approximately how much would one expect to pay?

2. I know the rental market in the Bay area (specifically the Peninsula) is pretty rapid. If we are hoping to move into a place August 1st or thereabouts, should we expect to look for a place 6 weeks/4 weeks/2 weeks/1 week in advance?

3. How short should I cut my hair today?

Comments

[kid-cthulhu.livejournal.com]

I love my Subaru Outback, and both the Outback and the Forester get decent (not great, but 24-28 mpg) mileage. They are terrific beater cars, can take anything you hand out and run forever. Handling in snow won't be an issue for you, but they do well in mud and foul weather of all kinds. Highly recommended. They'll easily fit 2 kids and dog, but my Outback parks like a compact, because it's not any wider than a civic or Prius. A little longer, but narrow.

Also, Viking-Cat fits nicely and is comfortable in one, which means CP will be too.

[digitalemur.livejournal.com]

I knew there was something I was forgetting! The Outback and Forester are sweet! You won't need the AWD around town but for going skiing it could be handy!

[meepodeekin.livejournal.com]

I don't think I have terms strong enough to describe my love for my Forester. And my in-laws have an Outback they love, as does my sister in law, who routinely (i.e. at least 5 times per year) drives it to Utah and back. Subarus are significantly pricier than (the smaller) hondas and toyotas, and we couldn't afford one when we needed to actually pay for our second car. But I highly recommend them if you can afford one.

[orichalcum.livejournal.com]

It's true - the tall-guy test is also important.

[julianyap.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd have to say that the Outback or the Forrester would be my call. You could probably go with the Audi A3 or any sort of small SUV/station wagon, but the Subarus seem to be a particularly good combination of price and practicality. I've never owned a dog, but I can't imagine combining a child seat and a golden retriever in the back seat is a good idea.

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

A disturbing percentage of the cars in Seattle are Outbacks or Legacys (the plain ol' wagon version). Once I started recognizing them, I saw them everywhere. They're apparently perfect for driving out into the country, on dirt roads, to go camping or hiking or suchlike.

[cookie107.livejournal.com]

We've got a Forester, and the two car seats fit just fine now. When we had a little one in a bucket, he was behind the driver's seat (my 3 year old liked the passenger side and didn't want to switch) and my husband (who is 6'1") could *not* slide the seat back far enough to drive the car comfortably (although I'm betting he could have been okay in the passenger seat). That's not a problem now that both boys are facing forward, although I can already see that leg room will be an issue in the back seat when the front seats are back far enough for my husband. I've had the car for 4 years and put 70000 miles on it, and we love it. The AWD has literally made it possible for me to get home (but I doubt you'll have the snow issues we have in Boston). And you can get a nice rubber liner for the cargo bed that would be perfect for transporting a dog.