Help us buy a car

[W(TF)]

Drove them all last summer, and leased the Mazda 3. It has significantly better handling, BRAKES, and power vs the Civic or Corolla. This is a great car for the money, and the first time a 200-lb squirrel with no brain (Deer) jumped into the road we live off, I was glad we went for the car with 4-wheel discs. Go ahead and test drive them, you'll notice the difference.

 

We also have a Mazda MPV and it's been reliable as a stone. Toyotas were good value 15 years ago, not anymore. Hondas are good, but pretty uninspiring vehicles. I feel Mazda has surpassed Honda in terms of performance and quality, the way Yamaha has passed Honda on the bike front. As far as VW's, FUCK THAT!

[RaspberryJam]

I am actually kind of suprised that more people here don't have Toyotas and Hondas. I have a 99 Camry which now has 141K miles on it. I bought it used and I did have to replace the clutch at 75K, but I think the previous owner didn't know how to drive a stick. My wife has a 99 Accord. 121K miles and no major problems. I can say that Hondas hold their resale value better, as my wife's Honda is worth about $2000 more than my Camry and I have it loaded with power everything, leather, and a V-6 engine.

 

That being said, we too are in the market. We have decided on a small SUV since we are about to start a family. We have narrowed it down to the V6 RAV4, the CR-V, the Nissan Morano, and the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe and the Morano are technically mid-sized, but they get decent gas milage and we would buy the Morano used with around 30K miles to keep the prices relatively the same. After test driving them all we have decided on the V-6 RAV 4. It has SO much power (we live in the city and the car has to have power to merge into traffic), great storage, backseats flip down flat and there is additional storage under the floor, it has a full sized spare, and best of all, it gets 21 city and 27 highway MPG.

 

I was always against SUVs, but these new small SUVs give you storage (for baby stuff), height (key for an infant seat to save our backs),and now decent gas mileage. We usually drive our cars into the ground, but resale value is important just in case, and the RAV-4 has better resale value than the Highlander.

 

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the infant carrier is going to kill your back anyway.

 

We bought the passat wagon (2001) just before our first was born and it has been the perfect car. Room for the dog and all the kids' junk, leather seats so cleaning up puke and spilled juice boxes is not too hard, great gas mileage. I've got a ton of miles on it and it still runs great, glad that I'm feeling virtuous because we haven't had to clog the dumps with a throwaway piece of crap. It's a stick so the mileage is even better and it drives really stiff. Not to mention all of the top notch safety stuff (curtain airbags, traction control, antilock, etc.). I'm planning on driving it into the ground.

 

It is really a shame that Honda and Toyota don't make wagons now. I've always liked them too. The rav 4 is smaller than my car.

 

My mother in law loves her rav 4 so what the hell do I know.

[jenbobblehead]

you know what i don't like about Subaru? AWD. I do not know why anyone NEEDS AWD. I would rather have it on the fly like i did with my Dodge Dakota. It saved on gas and i only needed to use it when i needed to use it. Why doesn't anyone make those anymore? If Subaru could come up with an AWD that wasn't a gas hog i would be more interested...

 

one word: MINI!!!!!!

 

i just bought one. OMG! it is absolutely the BEST car to drive. so so so so so much fun. it gets up to 40mpg and is hatchbacky! they are quite roomie inside and if you need to transport larger items the seat folds down flat and make the back really spacious. if not a MINI cooper, the MINI clubman's are really sweet. there is a 2 month wait for a brand new MINI, but you can customize them like crazy, bonnet stipes, white tops...they're so much fun! did i mention that?

 

do NOT buy a ford focus. i had a 2002 focus (hatchback) that got pretty good gas mileage. yeah, except it just died starting back in Nov with serious electrical problems that no mechanic could pin point or figure out what was causing them, but in a few months time the alternator went out twice, the fan motor blew, and as a goodbye present, the rear window motor went out as i was taking the car through the car wash on my way to trade it in. nice. the window dropped and water went everywhere into the back seat. it was lovely. damn that car.

 

I had a 2003 Focus SVT that i loved, which is why i'm considering a focus again, but a 2007. But i do have a soft spot for the Mini. will you drive it down to Springfield and let me test drive it? I like the clubman too. it is like a little barbie doll hearse!

[Oil Can Boyd]

you can never go wrong with a Honda in my experience.

I agree.

I have a Honda Civic Hybrid, which is great. (But now I take public transportation to work so it mostly sits in the driveway.)

My wife has a Honda Odyssey, which she loves. She is a gardener so she throws all her work stuff in the back and there is still room for the rest of us.

[Serak_the_Preparer]

you know what i don't like about Subaru? AWD. I do not know why anyone NEEDS AWD. I would rather have it on the fly like i did with my Dodge Dakota. It saved on gas and i only needed to use it when i needed to use it. Why doesn't anyone make those anymore? If Subaru could come up with an AWD that wasn't a gas hog i would be more interested...

 

Today's AWD only come on when needed. The car feels the tires slipping and activates the AWD. For 99% of the time the car is riding in front wheel drive mode. People in MN need AWD - and it is nice that it automatically come on when needed. That way we don't have to wonder if it is icey or not - we get the AWD only when it is needed. I had an old Dodge pickup growing up in northern WI and I always realized I needed the 4WD a tad too late - like when I was in the ditch! Of course back then I had to lock in my 4WD and then back up 50 feet (hard to do when your in a ditch).

[jenbobblehead]

Today's AWD only come on when needed. The car feels the tires slipping and activates the AWD. For 99% of the time the car is riding in front wheel drive mode. People in MN need AWD - and it is nice that it automatically come on when needed. That way we don't have to wonder if it is icey or not - we get the AWD only when it is needed. I had an old Dodge pickup growing up in northern WI and I always realized I needed the 4WD a tad too late - like when I was in the ditch! Of course back then I had to lock in my 4WD and then back up 50 feet (hard to do when your in a ditch).

really? it is "on demand" AWD? Then why can't subarus get better gas mileage? I always attributed it to the all the time, all wheel drive.

[Lynch]

really? it is "on demand" AWD? Then why can't subarus get better gas mileage? I always attributed it to the all the time, all wheel drive.

I may be wrong, but I think Subaru's are 80% front and 20% rear wheel drive, until there is slippage, and then it is 50/50.

[cryptique]

you know what i don't like about Subaru? AWD. I do not know why anyone NEEDS AWD. I would rather have it on the fly like i did with my Dodge Dakota. It saved on gas and i only needed to use it when i needed to use it. Why doesn't anyone make those anymore? If Subaru could come up with an AWD that wasn't a gas hog i would be more interested...

I'm with you on this. It annoys me that you can't buy a Subaru without AWD.

 

I had a 2003 Focus SVT that i loved, which is why i'm considering a focus again, but a 2007. But i do have a soft spot for the Mini. will you drive it down to Springfield and let me test drive it? I like the clubman too. it is like a little barbie doll hearse!

For the love of all that's holy, don't buy a Focus ... unless you want to spend more time at the mechanic than you do on the road. The people I know who drive Foci loved them for the first year or so, and then began wondering what the hell they were thinking.

[Gaz]

I had a 2003 Focus SVT that i loved, which is why i'm considering a focus again, but a 2007. But i do have a soft spot for the Mini. will you drive it down to Springfield and let me test drive it? I like the clubman too. it is like a little barbie doll hearse!

 

The SVT Focus was a different beast compared to all the other Foci. You will be disappointed.

 

I drive a 2004 Honda Civic Si. It was the last of the Civic hatchbacks. I love it because it is reasonably sporty yet odd looking. The stick shift is the best I have used and it juts out of the dash!? I've had it for three years and it works great. The stock tires sucked so I upgraded to summer rubber on the alloys and I have a separate set of winter tires/wheels. Suspension upgrade this spring/summer.

 

Winter tires are great.

 

 

 

My brother drives a 2007 Honda Fit Sport. This car is really nice and has a very flexible interior. Lacking in power (109hp) but gets great MPG (mid 30s hwy).

 

 

My girlfriend drives a Mazda 3 hatcback (wagon). It handles really well and the motor is quite torquey (150 lb/ft). MPG is not so great but it is a larger motor (2.3 liter). The brakes are huge and work great. The stock tires suck in snow and we are going to be buying a set of winter tires/wheels for next winter.

[LouieB]

One word....Toyotas....there is a reason they are nearly the best selling car in the world ...(incidently for all my friends out there, the Louie mobile was stolen a few nights ago, so bid farewell to the white Camry with all the music stickers on it....)

 

(I have had five stolen now, so not only are they some of the best selling cars in the world, they are also some of the most stolen as well..)

 

LouieB

[jenbobblehead]

We considered the FIT, but i think it just doesn't have enough power for dealing with the traffic and merging and endless highways, Iways and Beltways down here. I need something with some serious acceleration. The Mazda 5 is another option--that's the five door one, right? There are just entirely too many choices.

[H.Stone]

really? it is "on demand" AWD? Then why can't subarus get better gas mileage? I always attributed it to the all the time, all wheel drive.

 

What kind of gas mileage were/are you getting and on what Subaru? We have a Forester and get about 30 mph, which I'm satisfied with. Our Camry is also incredibly reliable and efficient.

 

Geez Louie, vibes on the stolen car.

[Guest Speed Racer]

We considered the FIT, but i think it just doesn't have enough power for dealing with the traffic and merging and endless highways, Iways and Beltways down here. I need something with some serious acceleration. The Mazda 5 is another option--that's the five door one, right? There are just entirely too many choices.

 

To reiterate what other people have said, my 2007 Honda Civic has a great kick. Excellent car.

[caliber66]

We are probably going to buy at least one, and possibly two, Mazda M3s.

[theashtraysays]

We also looked at all of the compact cars last summer, and went with the Hyundai Elantra. Very happy with it after 6 mos and 9K miles. It was a lot better car than the Kia, which felt really cheap.

 

The other car we liked was the Mazda3. Unfortunately, the only Mazda dealer in town is a twit. I've had nightmares with them on service, and the next closest dealer is just too far away. And the Hyundai had more stuff (XM/ABS, etc) for a couple grand less. The Matrix / Vibe was also a nice ride. The Corolla was boring; the Civic was unimpressive. The Ford Focus was a dreadful plastic box.

 

We are perhaps the only family in America who has hated our Honda Odyssey, btw. It's big, loud truck of a thing. Not a Honda fan overall. We're out of the minivan phase now (thank goodness), but the Sienna we had was way better than the Honda. Both were better than the Dodge/Chrysler versions we had.

[Edie]

I saw a Smart car for the first time today. It's not as small as it seems, but it is still small.

 

Also, Louie, sorry to hear about your car. Was this in front of your house?

[LouieB]

Also, Louie, sorry to hear about your car. Was this in front of your house?

Yup..I think I may start a thread about this....my white Camry took many a VCer to many different shows including Wilco....

 

LouieB

[tugmoose]

My Jeep, because in nine Cleveland winters, I've never gotten stuck, even on unplowed side streets or driveways. The last few days, that's a big friggin' deal.

[jenbobblehead]

car shopping from Friday night (where i was a passenger each and every time):

 

ok. went out and looked at cars today. test drove a 2007 scion tc (5 speed, pretty peppy but heavy feeling, like driving a convertible or a mustang), w/ 50K on it. Husband liked that one, i found it to be uncomfortable and stiff--$12K.

 

Then a lower level 2007 Toyota Matrix with 17K on it, automatic but it was not the good trim level so i found it a little lacking in pizzazz but not in road noise. great visability though, like riding in a small truck, but without the truck feeling --$16K

 

and finally i got lured to the other side of the lot to a 2007 toyota camry hybrid, which comes with just about every whistle and bell including leathah and heated seats. I loved it, even though it is a total old lady car. It only had about 17K miles on it and it was not priced competitively but i still wanted it. It was even GREEN and i was smitten. But it was a little out of our price range for something that wasn't new--$27,500.

 

There was also another camry hybrid with 47K miles on it for somewhat less $$--$23K but i don't know what the risks are with the higher mileage hybrids. Anyone?

 

So we need two cars, and one has to be a hatchback or a small truck and one can be a stick shift. They can both be used or only one can be used. At least one should have a nice trim package (ie., comfortable seats are really important because we travel to carolina and back to RI a lot). I want to get one new car with excellent financing and one used car with cash. We're getting $11K back from the insurance company (if i can ever find the title) and we have some other cash we can use to put down on a new car.

 

We wanted to drive the 2009 Matrix (but it was so rainy and my feet were wet by that time) and the Scion xb but we didn't get to it yet.

 

THEN Saturday we went to a Mazda Dealership and drove several of the Mazda3s and one Mazda5 and were hooked. We drove one used of each, and of course preferred the new ones, although actually we didn't drive a new Mazda5 which seemed a little big for us but i liked it because all the seats fold down to make a giant cargo area. They get decent gas mileage, at least as well as the last car and Caliber was completely sucked in by the MadzaSpeed turbo engine. They made us an offer on TWO cars, both far less than retail (closer to wholesale, it looks like) and we are trying to decide whether we need two hatchbacks or one hatchback and one sedan. And we're also trying to decide whether we can get a 2007 model of one of these cars because they are nearly identical between the model years.

 

The sport model is the base model and it still comes well equipped, and the Grand Touring (which seems like such a goofy name for a car that i can drive into the back of a medium sized truck) comes with leather, bose stereo, and a very expensive navigational system (which we do not need because we have garmin anyway). The Mazdaspeed turbo comes in the Sport and the Grand Touring models but we're having a hard time justifying that. But, if we can get a good used 2007, then I don't see why we couldn't put the extra toward the go-car-go model. it is really awesome.

 

i have yet to drive any of these as i wasn't feeling myself yesterday, but i could tell just by the handling, the shifting and the "feel" that this car is very much like my old SVT as far as speed and handling. We liked our sales guy--Arthur--from Alaska via the Philipines and promised we'd buy at least one car from this guy, even though he doesn't follow baseball.

 

Keep the advice coming, though people, because this is a great, invaluable thread!

 

Jen Gearhead.

[Analogman]

Yup..I think I may start a thread about this....my white Camry took many a VCer to many different shows including Wilco....

 

LouieB

 

Did we ride in it - I can't recall exactly.

 

Consumer reports worst cars deal up at yahoo front page today.

 

I'd have this - if I had a car.

[LouieB]

Did we ride in it - I can't recall exactly.

Yup....

 

LouieB

[theashtraysays]

THEN Saturday we went to a Mazda Dealership and drove several of the Mazda3s and one Mazda5 and were hooked. We drove one used of each, and of course preferred the new ones, although actually we didn't drive a new Mazda5 which seemed a little big for us but i liked it because all the seats fold down to make a giant cargo area. They get decent gas mileage, at least as well as the last car and Caliber was completely sucked in by the MadzaSpeed turbo engine.

 

ZoomZoomJen! I've driven Mazda's for 20+ years (the RX-7 / RX-8 rotary engine cars - have had 3 of those, but sadly none at the moment), and they are a blast to drive. The 5 is a little quirky - too small to be a people carrier, and not as nimble as the 3. I'd be a little leary on that one for the resale value and for Mazda trying to stretch the 3 chassis a bit too much. Have not driven a MazdaSpeed version of anything, but they all get great writeups.

 

[jenbobblehead]

We are the proud parents of two Mazda3s--one GT hatchback (Gray) and one Sport Sedan (black)

 

Thank you, everyone, for your help!

[WilcoOfTheDay]

This might be the most useful thread I've ever read here. I'm also looking for a new car...something with four or all wheel drive for Iowa winters. 4runners are my favorite but probably too much for me to spend, rav4's are my second favorite. I've been looking at Hyuandi's - anybody not anything about them? I never really payed attention to them but they are reasonably priced - is that a bad thing? Should I just pay the extra cash for a toyota?

[andshewas]

I've had two incredibly reliable Hyundais [the only reason I've had two is because I crashed the first.] If you like a 5-speed, the get-up-and-go is quite fast and they're really fun to drive [as was the case for my 1998 Tiburon]. My Elantra [2000] is an automatic. It has over 121,000 miles on it, and accelerates just a teeny bit sluggishly, but starts every time and is great in the snow [skinny tires!]. [Driving that in bad conditions was a breeze compared to the Grand Voyager I was borrowing from my parents]. Gas mileage was considerably better [consistent 34 mpg] with the Tiburon, probably because it was a 5-speed...the best mileage I've had from my Elantra was 29-ish mpg.

 

I don't know how the new models do on gas or how they hold up, but I would most definitely recommend them based on the used models I've had. I'll probably keep buying them.