Here go again - Car needed for sales guy - lots of work rules

The 2011 Honda Accord LX 5 Speed maxed out of the work car program last Saturday - I would buy another but lifting 100# reels of hydraulic hose and hoisting them hernia style into my backseat because they won't go into the trunk is getting old. So suggest?

6 years or newer (2012 car maxes out at the end of 2017, 2013 maxes 2018....)
$26,000 minimum sticker when new
4 door minimum
I haul a lot of hoses - reels, oily hydraulic lines, boxes......
I am also a Dave Ramsey debt free guy

Equinox? 2017 LS's are going for $21,000 new?
Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab long bed WT? 2WD's are going for $27,000? 4x4's are $31,000?
Chevrolet Silverado Double Cab WT 4x2? $34,000 with GM employee discount?
Used 2015 rental car Impala for $13,500 and get a big trailer?

I sell to a lot of quarries and for some reason they all seem to have that "buy an American" truck mentality. What about that van the GRM mustang/parrot guy has?

Long in the tooth 2015 Impala rental car fleet

Sounds like a job for a van.

Mazda3 GT hatchback, loaded and new, great mileage and reliability, can be a 6speed hatch to fit the hose reels, nice to drive. CX5 or CRV if more space is needed. If Buy 'Merican is a deal breaker how about a focus ST?

If even more space is needed, transit connect? Still car based, not as nice to drive as the Mazdas.

This sounds like a job for a Transit Connect.

In reply to Sonic:

Transit Connect is the first thing to come to my mind.

Any of the new dustbuster vans should fill that need.

SUVs work, hatchbacks work, but for all the oily-worky stuff I might consider a Colorado, Transit, or other work-ish vehicle.

Silverado seems like more truck (and more fuel) than necessary for your needs. If you're putting a lot of miles on it, MPG will pay off pretty big.

You probably also expected this from me, but diesel will pay off big time in MPG and resale. It will also pay of pretty big in reliability if you pick the right one.

Transit diesel (passenger van, but a ratchet fixes that)

How many miles do you drive per year?

In your situation, I like off lease vehicles such as 3 years old with 30k miles. Keep them 3 years and unload before 100k miles.

Four door dodge half ton diesel pickup.

New Ridgeline

Yup, small van. Maybe build some sort of ramp to roll reels in and out to save your back. Room for hand truck too. Company logo on the side?

Slippery wrote: New Ridgeline

My Accord is my first Honda and the experience went well - one issue is I average a payment of $750.00/month. Car payment, oil, gas, tires, business insurance, filters, maintenance and any repairs/parts. The whole ball of wax is mine. I considered this truck but would like to spend $25,000 or less.

Like others said, you're describing a Transit Connect. There's $4500 worth of rebates on the leftover 2016's at the moment. I bought a short roof, but long wheelbase base model for a delivery van. MSRP was $25,030 and I paid $18,600.

4 hours ago.

I'll check those transits out tomorrow

In reply to Datsun310Guy:

If there are none near you, there's a few here in MD

I like the Ford Transit Connect, but of course I would add half the Montune and Cobb catalogs to it.

What about a Dodge/Ram Caravan C/V? Comfortable to drive, more power, and plenty of room.

Hatchback, SUV and pickup all likely have high lift-over height. Minivans don't. The Transit Connect floor, IIRC, is even lower.

If you haul this stuff only so often, maybe a small trailer could be better? One with a fold-down door could make it easy to just roll your heavy spools on/off. This approach could let you have a more comfortable/luxurious/fuel efficient car (like your Accord) for daily use and if clients ever come along vs having a larger van or something with capacity that would go unused much of the time.

Chevy Colorado Crew can be equipped with 2WD and a manual to come in at 21k or add stuff to get all the way to 50k.

I think a WT trim should come in right at 26-28k.

I don't think a Transit Connect meets the "$26,000 minimum sticker when new" requirement.

How about an Escape?

Grand Caravan. Off lease it should have depreciated to 12,000 from a new sticker of 30K. Designed to haul a herd of kids and their crap for decades and be utterly neglected in the process. Should hold up to a few rolls of hose ok.

My dad's company has had him in Caravans for a few years. He likes them enough that he and my sister both own one. The V6 is s bit more power than either of them should be trusted with though.

Yep, minivan. If you can get past the 'Merican thing, what about a 2015 Mazda 5? Last year of production, you can even find one or two leftovers brand new. Mazda3 based, so they're tons of fun to drive. In GT trim, they're loaded to the hilt. Low liftover, can carry your stuff with ease. Will be easy on the consumables.

Tom Suddard wrote: I don't think a Transit Connect meets the "$26,000 minimum sticker when new" requirement. How about an Escape?

It can actually meet it both ways, $26K minimum, just get an XLT with reverse sensors. $26K Maximum, just get an XL.