Curious In Ohio

I am looking for a good, reliable, fuel eff. 4 cyl car for my daughter to start college with in the Fall. I am looking at the Chevy Cobalt, Dodge Neon & The Civic. Which is THE best for a 19 yr old college student? My budget is $7,000 Max.

Serious opinions only please!

Thanks!

I am torn between the 2014 Honda CR-V EXL, Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium or Limited and the Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. All 3 have excellent ratings and expert/consumer reviews! I have test driven the first 2 but not the CX-5 yet.

Any input (no stupid stuff), info., insights, opinions (again, keep it serious) would be a great help. Thanks!!

Ford Fusion 2010 SEL just had front R & L control arms replaced at Monro Muffler & Brake. The noise in the front is still there and I can feel a vibration when the wheels are turning and more so at lower speeds, almost like something is rubbing against another component? At higher speeds I don't hear/feel it as much. Ford told me I needed all 4 arms replaced; but Monro said no. Initially they said the front left Trailing arm needed replacing and the right control arm front; but when I look at the final work done last weekend it says 2 control arms were done, and not a trailing arm and a control arm? Any ideas? I'll be calling Monro tomorrow to ask why the noise is still there! Cost $675 including the alignment work for the front end!! Help!!

I have $15,000 available for investment. It's sitting in a bank earning practically nothing (no news there!). Where should I place it to maximise my return? Serious answers please. No replies like "give it to me and I'll get you a gerat return"!

Thanks!

Ford Fusion 2010 SEL with a hollow "knocking" sound in the front end? Is it the struts are gone or ball joints? How much is a reasonable cost to repair it if it's either one? usually happens over minor bumps in the pavement. Car isn't bouncing up & down, so I don't believe it's the shocks. Any input will be appreciated...thanks!

Opinions/ experiences invited for a camera under $150 with a viewfinder to use for casual vacation pics? I am currently looking at the Canon Powershot A1400 for $110. Any other suggestions will be appreciated...thanks!

Which console is best for family gaming? Is the "Kinect" system better than Wii? Am not into hard core gaming like "Halo" etc. Just simple stuff like sports etc. Are there any advances coming in either system in the near future? Serious answers please. Thanks!

Searching for my brother whom I haven't seen in 40 years. Last known in Melbourne but could have moved. What data bases can I delve into to try a search for him? Are there agencies in Australia that can assist me? Serious answers only please. Thanks.

It has almost 94K on the clock, has had regular oil changes/air filter changes & a flush thru of the fuel system last year. I'm seeing the gas needle drop a bit faster lately and even though my in car computer says I'm getting 30mpg, I didn't get 100 miles out of a 1/4 tank after just filling up yesterday. I keep my speed around 65/70 mph; and 85% of my driving is highway. Do I need to have anything specific checked soon? Any ideas/input/suggestions from people who know about these things please? Thanks!

It has almost 94K on the clock, has had regular oil changes/air filter changes & a flush thru of the fuel system last year. I'm seeing the gas needle drop a bit faster lately and even though my in car computer says I'm getting 30mpg, I didn't get 100 miles out of a 1/4 tank after just filling up yesterday. I keep my speed around 65/70 mph; and 85% of my driving is highway. Do I need to have anything specific checked soon? Any ideas/input/suggestions from people who know about these things please? Thanks!

I have a 2010 Ford Fusion with the "Sync" system. I need to know which method to use to play tunes thru it? Can I voice command both the iPod touch/nano, and/or an MP3 player? Does one have pros over the other? I know I have to buy a dedicated cable for the iPods; or I can get a USB for MP3s Ideas, experiences, suggestions please? Thanks!

I have a brand new HP desktop from Best Buy, which they gave me after many weeks of mayhem with "Geek Squad" which I don't enough space here to go into! My old PC was "blue screening" and after installing a new hard drive it still did it, so they changed out the Gateway for an HP model and transferred all the data to the new hard drive. When I hooked it up after the store it would not bring up any desktop icons, just the blank HP wallpaper. I called an "agent" and was advised to turn off the PC, then unhook the power cable at the back, press the power button 10 times to "drain the capacitors"; and then power it back up!? When I followed this line of action the PC showed the icons once again. However, it has done this 2 more times in 3 weeks; and I'm beginning to get that sinking feeling that this PC is also a "dud"! It functions pretty well in all other areas. Any ideas/comments/suggestions from people that actually know about computers? Serious answers only please. Thanks!

Factory installed Alloy Wheels on a 2010 Ford Fusion SEL (with 10 spokes). Info on best type of brushes/clothes etc. would also help. Thanks!

I am looking to upgrade my Garmin Nuvi 260w soon to either a Garmin 3790LMT, Tom Tom GO 2525M LIVE, or Magellan 5120LMTX. If anyone has experience of any/all of these units I'd appreciate your observations/"real world" experiences using them. Pros & Cons of all would be very useful too in assisting me in my final decision. Serious answers please! Thanks!

I have a Ford Fusion SEL 2010 with leather interior. I normally use Armorall Wipes for the interior plastics/vinyl; and the leather wipes for the seats etc. I think there may be a dull layer developing on the surfaces; so is there a better method for keeping the interior gleaming? Serious answers please! Thanks.

I have an LG Blue Ray DVD player capable of streaming my Netflix from the PC. What is the best way to do this? Should I get a wireless router to send the signal to the DVD player? Does it cost more than my actual monthly subscription? Serious answers please...thanks!

I need a new one and want to hear from anyone with info./opinions/experiences with what they consider the absolute best snow shovel with respect to everything connected to snow/ice removal. Serious answers only please!! Thanks!

I am looking into buying one of these consoles for Christmas. Does one really trump the other, or are they pretty much the same thing just with different names/functions? I'm not interested in "Kinect" or "Move" features, as I'll be getting a Wii in 2011. I currently own a PS2 and really like it, especially playing FIFA10! I am not into online gaming or downloading huge files/movies. I'm not a "serious" gamer....Serious answers only please! Thanks!!

Is it a good strategy to pay extra principal per month or no? I have a $163,000 mortgage over 25 yrs at 5.5%. With property taxes and home insurance rolled in I am paying $1326 per month. I'm thinking $100 extra a month would be a good start to reducing the length of the loan? Any input will be appreciated...serious only please. Thanks!

What is the best value plan out there for someone sick of being locked into a contract? I feel $2000+ for 2 yrs with Verizon for 2 lines is pretty extreme!! It's like being stuck up without a gun! Any info. greatly appreciated. Thanks!