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Comments
It really depends of course on what you want. If you just want a quiet place to sit in traffic, without worrying about future breakdowns, any midsize Japanese nameplate vehicle should do. If you don't value serentiy so much, a Japanese nameplate compact would do equally well, not to mention save money at purchase, insurance and filling time.
I spend about 40 minutes per day in LA traffic, and chose a Mitsubishi Galant. LA traffic is not where the limits of acceleration or cornering can be explored, but rather a place where (for me) a comfortable seat and very good sound insulation are very important.
Good luck!
Personally, if I was going to get a 4 cylinder, I would go ahead with the Elantra GT. If you can drive stick- buy the GT with a stick! You'll appreciate your choice!
Regardless of its price the Elantra GT is an excellent car in comparison to its competitors. I have 30K on my 2000 Elantra with only a 15 minute dealer visit to fix the horn. Other than that- no problems.
What I was thinking about is the fact that we are not comparing the cars of today with the cars of yesterday. We are comparing the cars of today among themselves.
And on that basis, the quality of the Korean cars is definitely below average.
That plus my tires needed to be balanced. Two very small problems that would not have been differentiated on JD Powers intial quality survey. Making that survey, IMHO, pretty useless.
The survey would be more useful if it reported what types of problems are there along with their frequency.
I have not seen Consumer Reports quality report on the 2001 Elantra. I'm curious do they differentiate the problems? Does the 2001 Elantra have more electrical problems than say, the Honda Civic? Etc, etc...
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
http://www.auto.com/
Man, if this is what Honda's stylists are moving toward, look out -- WAYYYYY OUT -- for the next-generation Civic and Accord!!!
Puuuuuke! (There, have I stated my opinion?)
;-)
Meade
P.S. Shouldn't it be called the "Model Y?"
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Meade
I suppose we've probably covered this but has anyone noticed that the Toyota lineup is getting really.....ugly? I mean even the Lexus's are kinda "thick" looking. (except for the is300 which I like) It's like they are making all of their cars match the Echo.
Meade
I've never owned a Korean car before but I must admit that I am impressed by our Hyundai. I was a little skeptical at first but I haven't regretted the purchase at all. My wife and I thought the Elantra GT was the best value for our money.
Another fun commuter car you might consider is the Mazda Protege. That was our second choice.
Good luck in your search. If you choose the Elantra you won't be disappointed. Let us know what you decide.
Happy Motoring.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I give credit to much-maligned GM for designing such a versatile interior in the Rendezvous/Aztek twins, but I gotta wonder what the heck they were smoking over at Pontiac when they designed the exterior!!
Enjoy your new wheels.
For the sake of providing accurate info to prospective car buyers who follow this forum, here is a quote from the Hyundai Warranty book regarding what the 10 year/100,000 mile Powertrain Limited Warranty covers (Kia's should be the same, if not would a Kia owner please post a correction):
"Tranmission/transaxle: Case and all internal parts, axle shafts (front), constant velocity joints, front hub bearings, seals and gaskets, torque converter and converter housing and clutch cover and housing."
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
-Larry
-Larry
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Engine: Civic's 1.7 gets the nod for smoothness and emits a more pleasant tone throughout the rev range. The Corolla's 1.8 does have more grunt especially above 4000rpm when the variable valve timing kicks in.
Ride/Handling/Drive: It's really a toss-up in this category. The Civic rides a bit more firm and the Corolla soaks up bumps better. I didn't notice any "floatiness" in the Civic that the 2001 was renown for. Both handle about the same; I would expect the wider tires on the Civic EX and Corolla S/LE will help improve road holding a bit. Visibility is better in the Civic with its greenhouse.
Comfort/Convenience/room: Ingress/Egress was better in the Corolla due to its higher seats. I found the front comfort was about the same while the Corolla back seat was roomier and more comfortable. The Corolla had more useful storage bins including a center console that holds 14 CD's. The Corolla's trunk is also slightly larger though the Civic's opening is in turn slightly larger.
Quality/Workmanship: Here's where I think the Corolla really shines. The interior materials, color schemes and design combine to make a more substantial and luxurious compact car experience. Both cars have excellent exterior quality though the Corolla's coat of paint seem thicker.
Styling: This is purely subjective of course, but I prefer the Corolla's new look. I liken it to a cross between a Jetta and a Camry. The previous Civics, 88-91, 92-95, 96-00 versions, were leaders of the subcompact/compact pack in styling when they first came out. I feel the current version has lost that advantage.
Value: I like Honda's simplified options scheme of the DX/LX/EX. However, by choosing options carefully in the Corolla, you can get it to cost (MSRP) about the same, comparable equipped.
Well, I have negotiated a price and put a deposit down for a Corolla S 5spd. Being a 13 year Honda loyalist, it was not an easy decision. But, IMHO the Corolla has improved so dramatically so that it will be hard to ignore as an alternative for even Honda loyalists.
My 2000 Sephia now has 24000 miles in 15 months. Still no problems. Rides fine. Cost of ownership exceptionally low. 7 oil changes at $12.50 each and a 15000 mile checkup that cost $45.00. About $150 total. Not too bad. Bought a Jeep Liberty last week. Definitely a more solid vehicle. You notice the Sephia is not made with the same materials.
B.J., does this mean you will check back in another month. If so, thanks for the warning. I'll take off that day, so I don't bore you again.
;-O
-Larry
My niece has an 85 Camry LE that she got from my sister when she got a new 94 Ford Taurus. The Camry has 200,000+ trouble free miles. The Camry cost less than $15,000 when new so it would fit under the $15k ceiling for this forum.
Major...did you friend (can't remember exactly who you said) get the Kia and if so how do they like it?
It may be that some people do not consider replacing tires or battery as maintenance. I will also ask what model and year of the Saturn. I do not see my friend as often since I retired May 31, 1996 and I have not even seen the Saturn.
by BJ FRANK42
B.J.,I'm pretty sure your memory is faulty. I have my opinions on Korean cars, nonetheless; I challenge you to find a single post in this topic were I "critized" any of the Korean vehicles. The one exception, might be the KIA produced vehicles. BTW, I rented a KIA Rio for a week, while on vacation in the Florida Keys and I posted my somewhat favorable impressions here at this discussion. I have also expressed my interest in the 2002 Elantra hatchback. Truth-be-told some of the regulars here have changed my opinion on the improving build quality of Korean cars. BTW, I apologize for snapping at you in my last post. My bad. :-) B.J., welcome back!
-Larry
I ordered the Sport plus package: spoiler + Aluminum wheels. Unfortunately, Toyota low on supply for the wheels so the car arrived with with steel wheels/hub caps. I get a "warranty" order raincheck for AL wheels and the wheels will arrive in a few weeks. I will try to keep the hub caps clean and avoid scraping the curb too hard when I park ;-)
I will provide an in-depth description later once I get some miles on it. I will be out-of town and renting a car for a few days next week. I will try to rent a Neon or something like that so I can do a comparison with the Corolla later.
* I posted the aforementioned in the Corolla topic but things are pretty slow there so . . . you can tell I am pretty excited, huh?
2003 Corolla S: Looks nice, like a mini camry. It looks narow though. I know they increased the size of the car but I think all you get is head room extra. I had the seet back like I would usually in my Protege and my knees were touching the dash (low dash). With the seat like this, there was hardly any room in the back. So if Toyota increased room in the Corrolla, I would have hated to be in the previous Generation Corolla. I looked in the engine bay and there is tons of extra room, front and back. You figure they could have moved the engine forward a few inches to make more room in the car? I think the car was Echoized...grew taller. The interior was OK. Really like the steering wheel.
2003 Matrix/Vibe: When compared to the Corolla, this thing is enormous inside. Found it much more comfortable and very spacious. I liked the exterior styling of the Matrix more thatn the Vibe. The enterior was a toss up. Both were pretty good. I saw pricing for the Matrix for Canada....about 24000 for the topline 180 HP model. Pretty good if you ask me. You get the Celica drive train for alot less...although this is a much heavier car!
Ferarri 360 Modena F1 convertible: OK, we can all dream can't we. This car is stunning!! It was dark blue with a tan enterior. To die for! Buy far the nicest car there! It had the sequential F1 style shifting mechanism too.
Neon R/T: You know, I was a little biased towards neons becuase of their harshness,poor reliablility, and previous ugly interiors but this car looked very nice. It was quite tastfull. The enterior was very nice. It had crome ringed guages (like in the 300M) and some other nice trim on the dash. Leather seats too although low quality.
Sentra SE-R V-spec: Well, it's tiny, front and back. The gauges are very ugly. The seats aren't as bad as in the pictures but I still don't like them. The exterior...well, it still looks like a Sentra with really big wheels. Can't get rid of that droopy but!
Infiniti G35: Very good looking until you get to the back! I don't know why nissan insists on having the back of the trunks of all their cars slope forward toward the front. It really makes for a droopy but. 350Z was the same. So was the Altima. I think nissan should go take another look at a BMW 3 series rear end and try and get it right before they copy that car.
Subaru WRX: WOW. By far the most comfortable car seats I sat in today. Alot of padding on the side to hold you in place. Interior was very functional. It won't win any awards for most stylish but it is nice looking. I like the outside as well. I really don't mind the lights that much. The engine is one sweet piece of machinery. But for $35000 in Canada, I don't think it's worth it. Once they bring the Mitsu Evo here, the price will drop becuase of the competition.
Dodge Ram 1500: BIG. This truck is HUGE! It has 20 inch wheels! Must be expensive to replace.
Honda Civic SiR hatch: Very Euro when you see it from up close. The way the windshield meets the hood reminds me of small Euro hatches like the VW Lupo. I think I could get used to the dash mounted shifter.
Well, that's a short list of some of the cars I saw today and my first impressions on them. Most of this is just opinion and the most important factor of each car car is missing...how they drive. Maybe I'll get a chance to test drive them all someday...except for the Ferrari maybe:)
1. GM 8.591 (in millions)
2. Ford 7.350
3. Toyota 5.703
4. VW 5.161
5. DaimlerChrysler 4.749
6. PSA Peugeot Citroen 2.878
7. Fiat 2.646
8. Hyundai 2.635
9. Nissan 2.629
10. Honda 2.540
I was surprised that Hyundai sold more cars in 2000 than Nissan, Honda, Renault, and others. It's possible that, based on Hyundai/Kia's strong sales growth in 2001, Hyundai may now be as high as #6 worldwide.
Another surprising (to me) factoid from the article: what is the biggest seller in Japan for the past eight years running? Hint: Corolla was #2.
Had Honda and Toyota still offered base model, 4 cylinder Accord and Camry wagons, I probably would have spend the extra (even a little past my $2,000 limit) to get one. Too bad the Subaru dealers in my area wouldn't sell me a legacy wagon for under $24,000, or a smaller Imprezza wagon for under $20,000, which is still steep for such a small (albeit excellent) car.
if you want to know about a car ask a person driving it . u would be surprised how many people getting into a car from a supermarket will stop and talk to you about there car . got to sit in my first echo that way , man the center spedo really threw me for a loop .
don't be a "party politic " person . look at each offering on its own merits . not because this mag said this or this survey said that . go see for yourself . don't get me wrong use all those as a tool but rememeber thats what they are tools , not the godspel... alll car makers have there problems american , japanese , korean . none are perfect .
ya ya ya go ahead and flame me for being the party pooper but lets face is 15k is alot of money for regular people . i don't think you can make a bad choice in any car you can get on the market today . they all seem to proform well , if they didn't they wouldn't be here . sure some give you more than others do for the same costs but that all depends on what you want to spend .
if you are wondering i drive a elantra gt and also own a 160k trouble free mile 95 accent . when i got the gt i could have gotten a car that cost more but why should i ?? i could care less what others think of my car . why spend more than i have to for a money pit . thats all a car is anyway . if it gets me where i want to go and it does so trouble free then what more can you really want ? sure i could look good(and in my mind the elantra gt does look good ) but i would rather look cheap and have money in the bank than look good and make high payments..
my .02$
FLAME ON >>
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick