Q: I have settled on a new Ford Taurus. My son, who lives in Detroit, is pushing for us to get the all-wheel-drive model because he says that it is safer, but I am not convinced that applies in Florida. Your opinion, please.
--Vern, Leesburg, Fla.,
A: Vern, I have long been a fan of all-wheel drive, and I'm convinced that it is a safety benefit. But the more sophisticated vehicles get, the less AWD means. With traction control and stability control, front-wheel drive, which is what the standard Taurus is, can handle most any emergency situation, especially in Florida -- in snowy Michigan, where your son lives, AWD remains a very desirable feature.
But here, not so much, and there are legitimate downsides to AWD -- it's always more complicated, always heavier, almost always gets worse fuel mileage and typically costs more. In the case of your new Taurus, AWD adds about $1,850 to the price, and drops mileage from 18 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, to 17/25. I'd go with front-wheel-drive.
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Q: I can afford a new Toyota Corolla, or a used Toyota Camry. Which should I buy?
--Carolyn, Orlando, Fla.
A: I like new cars. Better financing rates, a warranty, they smell better, and there's the assurance that you aren't buying somebody's lemon. Any chance of a compromise, with a new, but modestly equipped, Camry? There is, after all, a $10,000 spread across the Camry model range, from base model to the most deluxe.
