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Thanks ...
Another car I'd consider is the WRX. It'll blow the others away in terms of speed, handling & braking plus it's $10K less. I'm not sure how much luxury you're looking for because leather and climate control isn't available. The "cheapness" of the WRX shows when compared to the Audi, M-B, BMW and Jag.
Just my opinion...
Here are some of the constraints. She'd like to stay in a midsized sedan with 6 cylinders (preferably, but not a deal breaker). She's leaning heavily toward GM (Pontiac or Chevy) for the good financing deals. She's not interested in Ford and wants to avoid Chrysler. Her price range is $25-30K (which would include a hefty balance from her old loan) or a lease payment of $300-$350. She likes the idea of an import car (esp. Toyota) but she doesn't think she can get as good of a deal on the financing as with GM. She considers this an "in between" vehicle to get out of the Grand Prix and until she can afford something that she really wants to keep (she really likes the Toyota Highlander).
So, as you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider, which makes it more difficult for me to advise. Personally, I'd steer her toward Toyota, Honda or Nissan and I told her that. I also mentioned Mazda, particularly the new Mazda6, but she's afraid to buy a first year model. My thoughts, given her situation, if she's determined to trade now, would be to buy a used midsize car, like a Camry or an Accord (she doesn't want to buy used, though) or a new small car. I'm leaning toward a recommendation for the new Corolla, as a nice, reliable car, which should have fewer problems, even though it's smaller and not as "sporty" as the Grand Prix.
She is willing to consider the Corolla, and that's the only small car that she would consider. That's only because she likes Toyota, but she's not crazy about the style of the new Camry. I have a 2000 Camry, and I really can't blame her, but the similar style seems to work better on the smaller Corolla IMHO. Plus, I've driven the new Corolla and it was much nicer than I expected, so I was able to give her some positive feedback from my personal experience with the Corolla. We seem to share quite a few of the same opinions in regards to cars, so I'm thinking that if I liked the Corolla, she might too. In the end, she'll have to drive it and see for herself.
After our conversation, we came up with this list:
1)Toyota Corolla (my pick so far)
2)Pontiac Grand Am (I think this is her favorite)
3)Saturn L-Series (may be too expensive w/o haggling)
4)Chevy Impala (may be too big, it's a full size)
I tried to choose some of the better "midsized" offerings from GM, since she's leaning toward that direction anyway. She drove a Malibu before and didn't like it. Buick is not an option either (I threw that out there, just to be thorough, and of course, it was shot down, no surprise there).
I also mentioned the new Accord, but she hasn't seen it yet, so she doesn't know if she will like the new styling of it. Personally, I'm not too wild about it's current styling either (I've mostly liked the styling of the Camry and the Accord until the latest versions) but I'll try not to introduce that bias to her. I plan to print out some photos for her to look at and if she likes it, it will probably go to the top of the list, especially if Honda has some good financing deals for it. I don't know how likely that is, though. Maybe someone here has some info on that. (hopefully) :-)
I am doing some research and comparisons for her, to help her make a decision. But I thought it would be good to put this "dilemma" on the boards. Especially as it pertains to good financing and leasing deals. I know it sounds a bit unusual, but I really want to help her make the best decision that she can be happy with. Any and all input is very welcome.
Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long post. :-)
SilverCrown
Corolla may be OK if she can go that small. I am not a Grand Am or Saturn L series fan.
Impala is a decent car and reasonably inexpensive unless you load it up.
Of course, I may be biased, but who isn't when it comes to cars!
If she is not going to keep it very long, perhaps she should lease, then there will be no emotional problems if it turns into a lemon, just turn it back when the lease is up and before the warranty is up.
But for the size and price, styling aside (which is very subjective anyway), the Taurus might be a good alternative for her. I think she's pretty set on leasing so that she can save for something that she really wants to keep long-term next time.
Anyone know what lease deals Ford is offering for the Taurus?
If she wants to consider a slightly used Taurus, her buy price would really be a bargain. Lately I have seen a lot of ads where they will throw in an extended engine/drive train warranty on these newer model Tauri as well.
If she doesn't like Taurus styling, Mercury Sable is basically the same car with a more "formal" exterior sheet metal treatment.
With the economy sucking wind and automakers still pushing product out the plants, there are a lot of good deals around, both new and used.
Thanks for your input. Keep the feedback coming!!
It's got the reliability of the Corolla (which it is based on) and the financing advantages of GM. Seems like a perfect "stepping stone" option to me, plus it's a cool little ride.
Thanks again!!
Did some poking around and decided to check out the Accent/Elantra, Corolla, Civic, Sentra and Protege. Thought about the Focus but concerned about the reliability. Test drove a Protege5, Corolla CE, Sentra GXE, Elantra GT, Sentra SE-R Spec V and Civic EX. Here are my impressions:
Protege5 - handles great. Power pretty decent, enough for me. Motor noise is a bit loud esp. at higher revs and you can feel the vibration through the steering wheel/shifter. Shift action is pretty good. Nice interior and pretty cool looking car. Price a bit on the high side. Overall pretty good package.
Corolla CE - pretty good pick-up. Handling a bit on the light side. Pretty solid feel overall. Looks OK. Like the reliability (have an '87 Tercel still going strong). Shifter action was poor - kind of rubbery.
Sentra GXE - fast enough, maybe a tad slower than the Protege. Handling kind of light. Ride is noisy and unrefined. Big problem: The shifter is horrible, worst by far of the group. Looks are neutral.
Elantra GT - decent pick-up, car felt pretty quick. Shifter action is good. Handling pretty good but maybe a bit on the light side, not as good as Protege. Didn't really get to open it up, will probably go for another test drive. Like the looks of the car. Price is right. Great warranty but concerned about re-sale value.
SE-R Spec V - not originally in the list but noticed it's around the same price as Protege and higher HP. (Wanted to try SE-R but can't find it in a MT). Great power and acceleration. Almost feels as fast as WRX I test drove a few years ago. Handling a bit disappointing - was expecting it to be tighter than it was. Will take another test drive to make sure. Looks are OK/neutral. Reliability a bit of a concern. The price tag is kind of high compared with the others. Would also need to spring for an extra set of winter tires + steel wheels, pushing price even higher.
Civic EX - Very smooth ride, quiet and refined. Very little vibration in steering wheel or shifter. Shifter action is very good. Handling is very good. Car had driver armreset accessory which is nice. Like the reliability and re-sale value. The down-side: power. Car just feels underpowered. Also a bit pricey compared with the others, esp. given the power.
Well at this point I'm down to the Elantra GT, Protege5 and SE-R Spec V. The Corolla and Civic are great cars - if I was getting an automatic would probably go with the Corolla, but the MT stinks. Civic just doesn't have enough juice. SE-R Spec V might be too high priced - it's a rocket but I don't need that much power. So I'm kind of leaning toward the Elantra GT or Protege5.
Would also consider the Accent GT (even though not a four-door, just because of the price) but haven't found a dealer that has one with MT.
That's about it - Help Me Choose!
It definitely was a step up from other cars in it's price range. I also considered an Impala for it's roominess and smooth ride, but the wife chose the Alero due to the manual tranny.
This car has been performed perfectly, and fit and finish was flawless...something that surprised me a bit given all the GM bashing that seems to go on.
This was my first GM, but I would definitely buy one again, and hate to see this car go away in 2004.
Toyota Corolla
Honda Civic
Mazda Protege
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Sentra
So far, I'm leaning toward the Corolla. Why? Better warranty and more power and standard equipment, at least on the base models, than Civic. I might consider a Protege or Sentra at the right price, though the Pro is getting a bit long in the tooth and both resale and dealer network are weak. Sentra is ugly and a bit cramped. The Elantra is a great value, but I'm not convinced their quality is up where it should be. Again, dollar for dollar, they're extremely tempting, especially with that warranty, though resale is bad. Focus? No, I've heard too many nightmares, though they have a dealer very near my house and I could probably pick one up cheaply. Cavaliers with a/c and stereo are everywhere for $10k, but I don't think I could live with myself. Am I missing any?
BTW, I'd strongly prefer a manual transmission, I live in the city, my parking is OK, gas mileage is important. My only real requirements equipment-wise are a/c and a stereo.
Dinu
Sam
There are plenty of places all over the web to talk about political issues. Let's just remember that the Town Hall is not one of them.
Most of our membership appreciates being able to come here and talk about cars without having to think about the very hard things that seem to be happening in the world.
Thanks.
Integras
Proteges
Civics
Dinu
The Passat and Camry are both pricey, the Passat has more of a European feel to it and the Camry is more sedate in its ride like an American cruiser. I'd take the Camry first with what I know about the two cars. Do you think VW knows about their tranny problem? I do, its why you no longer see 10 yr 100,000 mile power train warranties, note the Passat's goes 5 yrs, 50k. Besides those two vehicles, I would recommend taking a long hard look at the new Accord V-6 or Chrysler 300M (that's right, a Chrysler), both are more reliable then the Passat will be and Chrysler is discounting the remaining 2003 300M's by $3,000! Invoice on an M is $26,400, so now the car is priced in the mid-size sedan range.
To me, the best used sedans look like the TL, the Maxima, and the Passat. What others should I consider?
I suggest lookng at Mazda6 in the new cars and an Accord/Max in the old.
For your daughter's first car you want something with more metal around her. For around $4K look at early or mid-90s Accords, Camrys or Maximas. You may be able to find some good buys with under 100K miles on them for that price, and if they were well maintained they should go at least another 50 to 100K. I believe most of those models tested well in the crash tests.
They also handle well, and they are among the most reliable cars on the road. I have a '92 Maxima that still runs great with 111K on it, and a friend has a '95 Camry with the same mileage and it has also been excellent.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/toyota/corolla/100074066/roadtest- article.html?articleId=96986&editorialpage=page003
I was just wondering, where is a good place where I can find stock 0-60 times (for autos) for a bunch of under 15k sedans? I'm looking for the sportiest of the sporty here.
Same goes for used...because I would guess a V6 Nissan Maxima would kill all the new 4 bangers coming out.
If anyone has that info, thanks in advance.
Just click on that link to get there.
And he's thinking 2003 Lincoln TC L model, BMW 760i, or Mrcdz S600... what do u think about it?
I know BMW's refinement is much better than TC.. but how about ride quality? Is TC that inferior than 760i and S600?
Plz compare freely....
Ride = Towncar or M/B
Quality = M/B or BMW
Large people fit into large cars whereas little people do better in little cars.
Why isn't a comfortable ride possible without as much space? The Towncar may have more space, but it's only slightly more than the S600. I'm not sure how much the BMW has in comparison (I was using the Edmund's top10 list). Does this mean that the Towncar has the best ride of any car? No, just slightly more space. There are other factors that play into this as well such as how smooth the ride is.
Also, the new Maybach 62 might be good. If they're hiring a chauffeur, they probably have the money. This would beat all three of those in ride quality, performance, quality, and space (by a lot).
A used Nissan Altima or Honda Accord would be nice too. Think 96-97 Accord or a 98-99 Altima.
tidester "I don't like SUVs, why do you?" May 25, 2003 1:50am
Now that my wife and I have had our first child I am looking for a car with
1) the most safety features (goal is to have the best chance of both surviving an accident and not suffering any major injuries) and
2) the highest reliability (for the first 5-7 years i'd like to go to the dealer to change oil and do scheduled maint. only)
Yes, I know i want the sun and the moon, but this is what my research has guided me to:
I am looking at two options of almost identical price ($20,000 invoice plus tax, license and fees). this is within my budget.
1-Passat GL 5 manual with all front and side airbags for driver and passenger, curtain airbags, ABS, traction control and Electronic stability and 4-year warranty
2-Camry SE 5 manual with all airbags, ABS (NO antiskid or Electronic stability available) premium package with leather, and fog lights and 3-year warranty.
crash tests from NHTSA are similar for both vehicles:
Passat: 5 stars frontal crash driver, 5 stars frontal crash passenger, 4 stars side crash front, 4 stars side crash rear
Camry: 5 stars frontal driver, 4 stars frontal passenger, 3 stars side crash front, 5 stars side crash rear
From Highway safety institute
Passat: GOOD (highest rating) in all except average in restraint/dummy movement
Camry: GOOD (highest rating) in all except average in foot/leg injury right front seat.
I love the passat but i really do not want to deal with maint. problems (I have only owned japanese cars: a Subaru GL10 '85, a mazda protege '98 and a rav4 '99-all extremely reliable). On the other hand, I wonder if it's not worth dealing with some limited (apparently) maint. hassles to get the most safety features. Do antiskid and electr. stability really add significant value to the safety package?
I know i cannot go wrong with either choice but I would still value your opinions so as not to leave it to the flip of a coin.
thank you
optimist2