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Midsize Sedans Comparison Thread

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Comments

  • billybob8billybob8 Member Posts: 7
    Impressive review!! Made me wonder if it was a paid commercial--sure had all the earmarks.
    Glad you like your Altima. I looked at all the similar priced Marques, gave all of them a very thorough test drive, and didn't choose the Altima. It wasn't even on the short list! My final choice was another Asian make. It was far more refined and better all round than the Altima. Besides, Nissan is still on the rebound from a near death experience and their future is still not assured.
    A few disappointments with the Altima besides Nissan's fiscal health. Resale didn't compare with my final choice. Reliability wasn't up there either. Three speed auto with OD is passe these days. yet another was recommended use of premium fuel. At today's prices, this is a bummer.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    My EX V6 has standard 16" wheels. Rides smoother than the Altima with leather I test drove. Altima has a little more low end torque, but only useful for drag racing (don't drag race my family car). I want my power when passing another car, and in that respect the Accord is just as quick or quicker. And I get all that burning cheaper regular gas. The Accord engine is smoother, and quieter (not all that racket from under the hood). All that and more miles per gallon too. It's all good.
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    Not a paid review, but I'll take that as a compliment! If that's what you get for free, imagine what you'll get when you pay for it. ;)
    The Altima 3.5 has a 5 speed auto and runs on regular unleaded.
    To be honest, I hadn't even considered the Altima until after I drove an Infiniti G35 and M35 and decided that the Altima was that close without the price tag.
    I was looking at Infiniti, Honda and Acura. After 10 miserable months with a problematic 2005 Avalon, Toyota and Lexus were off my list.
    While Nissan's market cap is nothing near that of Toyota's, Nissan now has bucketloads of cash and are bailing out Renault! The brand I am concerned about as far as survival goes is Mitsubishi, but that is another story.
  • tinatinatinatina Member Posts: 388
    Its a nice car, but they are redesigning it for 2007. They should have been discounted, as is the Accord EX-V6.

    I almost bought a 2006 Avalon XL in the Bliz. White Pearl. Got a pretty good discount off of it, but scared by the posts on that thread made me reconsider (including yours). I have heard tons of complaints on under Toyotas - most of them dealing with poor customer service/poor dealerships/inability to fix problems, etc. (I'm not sayinng that the Hondas are better - but in my experience they have gone the extra mile to fix my problems, and do extra services, such as detailing the vehicle, free oil change, etc). I think I'll go with the Pilot EX AWD in silver or beige (sorry its off topic). They are discounting those as well. I would like to stay with the Honda family. I'm coming from an Accord.

    As far as the Accord its engine is maybe slightly more noiser than a Camry's, but in not really that noticeable. I like the pep of my 4, in combination with its auto tranny. Honda has come a long way compared to the previous generation Accords. Its arguably the best powertrain among its competitors. (Its six is probably sufficient-but it could you a bit of a boost).
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    tinatina: We have a 2006 Pilot EX FWD and love it and I think you will too. Yes, I have the Altima and I think you already know my opinion on the Avalon. :lemon:
  • tinatinatinatina Member Posts: 388
    Congratulations on your purchase. We owned a 1995 Nissan Maxima, which was a very good car. You should be very happy with the Nissan. Hope all goes well with your Pilot. I normally post on the Accord, Pilot, and Camry/Avalon threads. (I do like the Avalon's style better than the new Camry, but it appears that a majority of most posters are negative on the Avy). I know the thread is not a representative sample, but the negatives are supported by a recent article (starring you) and CR.
  • djpdx1djpdx1 Member Posts: 30
    I just sold my beloved Nissan Murano copper w/ black leather and drove like a dream. People commented on its looks and it was fast w/ decent MPG--about 18-20 city on premium. I just bought a Camry THC and though I miss the speed of the Nissan, I really like this car, tiny trunk and all. I get a tax rebate next year and great Toyota resale.
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    Forgive me for being slightly off topic responding to your post, but how do we know the Azera resale will be poor? Please respond on the Azera forum.
  • billybob8billybob8 Member Posts: 7
    If you want my honest opinion, (after reading the 150+/- negative posts in your crusade about the Av you had)I could imagine you being a Nissan promoter right from the start. Personally, I think you had an oddball Avalon--one of those one in a million goof ups. I do not believe your Av situation was the norm--not at all.
    Altho' I didn't consider one in my search, the Av is a superb automobile.
    Best to you re the Altima. Unfortunately it's not my choice.
    PS. Nissan isn't out of the woods yet. Bucketloads of cash?? Not true!! You must be an optomist!!
  • tinatinatinatina Member Posts: 388
    The TCH is a nice car, especially with the B Package (nav, leather seats, etc.) However, IMO, the trunk is quite small. In terms of styling though, I like the Avy better than the Camry especially with the blizzard white pearl color. Its too bad they appear to be experiencing problems with the Avy as documented on the thread, the white dot in CR, and a recent article. (I also wonder if they are discounting the vehicle due to the rumored 6 speed tranny for 2007). Best of luck with the TCH.
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    Best way to determine projected resale value when there is no history on a particular model, is to look at the leasing residuals. According to Hyundai Motor Finance Corp., the Azera's projected depreciation over 2 years is more than 50% which unfortunately is way higher than the competitors.
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    Sheesh! You guys are hard to please! I give the Avalon a bad review and you guys get mad at me. Now I give the Altima a good review and you guys are mad at me again!

    I wish I could believe that my Avalon experience was atypical, but there are many similar accounts of the problems Avalons are experiencing - not just on Edmunds but on Toyotanation and other forums too. When there is smoke there is fire. Camry's new 6-speed problems are further testimony that Toyota is going through a less than stellar period. Tough to accept - it was tough for me too. Maybe you'll get lucky and get a good one, maybe you won't and you'll get stuck with a bad one. Do you want to take that increased chance when you spend around $30K or more, on a new car?

    I have been called many different names while reporting my Avalon experience, but take into account that I had many Toyotas previously and was a very loyal Toyota owner until the Avalon set new lows in quality. We used to turn in Toyotas at the end of their leases and lease new ones without even looking at the competition, but our last Sienna also started showing some chinks in Toyota's armor.

    I'm not going to belabor the point but when a lower-cost car like the Altima is better built and has better engineered electromechanical systems than the Avalon, one has to question... The Altima and Accord certainly don't have the proliferation of similar problems reported by multiple owners littering these forums as the Avalon does.

    I am not going to make further posts on the Avalon. This is not the forum for it and I'm pretty tired of the subject anyway. If you think I'm nuts for singing the praises of the very worthy Altima, you are entitled to your opinion!

    Check Nissan financial statements and you will see what I mean about Nissan's current financial position.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take the Altima out for a run!
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    Thanks for the reply. I'm not a fan of leasing and think, for most people, it is a bad deal.

    Maybe I don't understand the residual value. But, the dealer I bought my '05 Sonata from last April is retailing used Sonata's equipted exactly as mine, with 20,000 miles for only $1,000 less than I paid for mine. If I understand residual value, I don't see the Azera losing over 50% of value in two years.
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    I think you misunderstood me. Even if you are not leasing, looking at the leasing residuals is a very good way to determine estimated future resale values.

    The leasing companies estimate the value of the vehicle at the end of a lease period (residual) and these values are revised monthly to be as close to actual market value as possible. The lessee pays for the depreciation over the term of the lease, but that is not the purpose of this discussion.

    When a new vehicle like the Azera hits the market, it is tough to estimate the future value, so the previous model is used as a basis until real-life market values can be progressively used over time.

    In the case of the Azera and the Sonata, their projected market values are being based on the old models. My personal opinion is that these new Hyundais are so much better than their predecessors and will in fact have higher resale values than the finance companies are forecasting, but at this point in time, from an estimated total-cost-of-ownership perspective, the Hyundais are higher than the competition.

    Right now it is a bit of a gamble as to how the market will accept the new generation of Hyundais, but if they turn out to be reliable and give the competitors the spanking I think they will, these cars are going to be in demand in a few years and worth quite a bit more at resale time than currently forecasted.
  • tncarmantncarman Member Posts: 82
    Ok, I found this really weird. I read some list somewhere that said the new Impala sells better than the Honda Accord. Not Camry or anything, but I find that hard to believe. Is that right or is the list just crazy. 'Cause if its right, GM is coming back, now just give us the Aura already...
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    I read that the top 4 best sellers in the US are:

    1. Camry
    2. Accord
    3. Impala
    4. Altima

    Impala just pushed Altima out from 3rd place.
  • choe13choe13 Member Posts: 348
    The maxima is anyways almost an infinity so its very well made. Now the new altima may alot of infinity in terms of quality and other things. Because honestly 02-05 altima had an awsome engine but interior pieces fall off, emergency brakes brake, trasmission jumpy. I know this because my sister has an SER and two of my friends who own a inline 4 altima have made the same complaints.

    The new altima though looks great, and makes the maxima look sort of redundant.
  • choe13choe13 Member Posts: 348
    This could be a darkhorse midsize. This is a european car in the purest sense

    I like its style alot, should be sporty, handles well, cheapers than camcord(i mean which mid size car aint) and its basically an opel which is quite reliable.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    :P The Canton, MS plant may suck up all the bucket loads of cash that Nissan generated from elsewhere. Now that is one HUGE black hole of automotive mis-production.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    these cars are going to be in demand in a few years and worth quite a bit more at resale time than currently forecasted.

    I think you are expecting a lot from one generation of a car. Especially when some people (who are going to buy a car in a few years) don't even know the Hyundai Sonata exists. The average Joe test drives maybe two cars, and the chances of one of them being a Sonata are not that great. Not saying it's fair, just the way I see it. That's what a reputation will get you, in the car business. People who know "next to nothing" about cars, have heard of the Camry and Accord.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    This is not surprising. The Impala interior gets great reviews. Styling is also pretty mainstream. Value once again. You can get one for quiet a bit less than a Honda or Camry..
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    Can't disagree with you there. The Nissan Smyrna TN plant was rated one of the best in North America and the Canton MS plant was rated the worst. I wouldn't buy a car made there. I made sure mine came from Smyrna. Apparently Nissan has hired away some quality control consultants from Toyota to work on the Canton problems. (Perhaps the one that was supposed to have worked on my Avalon ;) )
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    There is nothing other than 160 instances of mis-manufactured 6 spd trannys in one specific run of XLE's that have any issues.

    The 5 speed Avalon V6's have performance issues which while annoying are not safety issues. They do need to be addressed in order to improve the quality of the driving experience but that's it.

    Other than that, it's a matter of fragile paint if a stone hits the front and occassional rattle's which both of which are only annoying.

    I personally do dislike the Avy's Navi interface but that's a subjective issue not a qualitative issue. It's like disliking a color.

    BTW.. The current Altima is a poor 4th to the Camry, Accord, and Sonata and probably the Fulans. It will never be in the class of the Avalon or the Azera or the new XLE V6 Camry.

    The new '07 is yet to be seen in person. Nissan's recent performance ( Canton ) is not encouraging though.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    I know the host hates this because it's not about the cars themseleve but it is about the cars..

    YTD sales
    Camry
    Corolla
    Civic
    Accord
    Malibu/G6
    Impala

    Altima
    Taurus
    Fu-lans

    GM 'sells' a lot of midsized vehicles
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    Actually, the relatively low volume of the Sonata and Azera may work to their advantage and drive the resale values up. It is all governed by the laws of supply and demand.

    If demand is high and supply is low, the price goes up.
    If demand is high and supply is high, the price goes down.
    If demand is low and supply is low, price goes - well nowhere really.
    If demand is low and supply is high, price goes down the toilet.

    Take the Camry for example. Everyone thinks that the Camry has a high resale value, but it is a victim of its own success. Everyone wants a good used Camry but try to get a reasonable trade-in or decent dollars selling privately when there are thousands of similar cars available - you can't. Accord sells in lower volumes and is also in demand as a used car - but has a higher value.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    All of this is exactly correct in regards to resales.
  • billybob8billybob8 Member Posts: 7
    I'm disappointed that you took my comments as "being mad at you". Wasn't intended. I just wanted to acknowledge the very professional review of your Altima, and let you know why I didn't choose one. You certainly seem as passionate in favor of the Altima as you were in dissing the Avalon you hated. (Personally, I'm wondering if you realize how much your assessments of both look like opposing obsessions!!) I certainly don't agree with your arbitrary claim (based on your experience and some anecdotal comments in cartalk forums) that Toyota is slipping in quality because of what is being posted in these forums. I think far more empirical evidence than that would be necessary in order to support such opinions.
    No doubt in my mind your Av had problems which were exraordinary, but way beyond the norm. (I also felt your condemnation of that marque also went beyond the norm!!)
    BTW, I didn't purchase an Avalon because it wasn't in the price range I was into in my research, but if it had been, the Av would have been a serious contender for sure!
    I also question your blanket statement about the fiscal health of Nissan. A recent(April)article to the contrary in Financial Post says you're way off base in claiming they're in good shape. Add to this an announcement(just today) that Nissan sales in Japan are down 34 percent and sinking fast!! A pretty picture this isn't!!
    The owner's manual recommends premium fuel BTW, and in the past, these products weren't noted for the best quality--I hope this changes in future.
    All said, I wish you continued satisfaction with your new Altima.
  • ontopontop Member Posts: 279
    but try to get a reasonable trade-in or decent dollars selling privately when there are thousands of similar cars available - you can't

    This is silly. You can't get a reasonable trade-in on a Camry? Maybe you can't. I did last summer on 2000 LE with 86000 miles in 'good' condition. Dealer said they'd sell my trade on their lot within a few days after the car was detailed and prepped for resale.

    The Camry resale value is one of it's main selling points today, and for good reason - its true.
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    billybob: Thanks for your post. Agreed that the financial statements today are not great. It wouldn't be the first time that earnings are "restated" or "corrected". I can't figure why creative accounting seems to dominate modern business and "restatements" have become the norm. That's what happens when the stock market becomes the "customer" and sight of the real customer has been lost.
    ...off topic.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I'm not convinced that Infiniti is any better than Nissan (they are the same company, after-all). I sat in several different Nissans/Infinitis at the International Auto Show last fall and every last one of them felt cheap to me (this coing from a Honda owner, so I'm spoiled by interior quality, keep in mind). I sat in a Frontier pickup and thought, "not bad, especially considering it's only $18k. Then i sat in a QX56 SUV (well above $50,000) and it had the same exact cheap feeling to it! It was really sad, because I like Nissan's platform of driving excitement and sportiness, but I could never buy a car that feels cheaper than my 10 year old (soon to be 11) Honda Accord LX, and that Infiniti SUV certainly felt cheaper.
  • booyahcramerbooyahcramer Member Posts: 172
    The Camry has legendary resale vlaue. We got $5000 (private sale) for a 2000 LE the week after the loan was paid in full and the clear title was mailed to us.

    Nice down payment on the next one.
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    We got $5000 (private sale) for a 2000 LE the week after the loan was paid in full and the clear title was mailed to us.

    That seems awfully low. I just got 3K for a 95 Mazda626. It was very clean and well maintained. I suspect I can get 4-5K for my 06 Sonata (in today's dollars)when it's 10 years old.
  • philliplcphilliplc Member Posts: 136
    no offense, but $5000 private sale for a 6-7 year old camry LE with reasonable miles is pretty weak. i would hope 07's will be worth more than that in 6 years, otherwise resale vs sonota is moot.
  • driverdmdriverdm Member Posts: 505
    Alan, though what you said about resale values is mostly true. However, you did not include incentives and current transaction prices which are very important. The Sonata is going to be hurt by this incentives. Someone said that they saw a used Sonata for only 1000 less than what they bought theirs for. There in lies the problem. Why buy used when new is only maybe 2K more expensive. Soanta pricing has changed much form a year ago. In fact if anything they went down compared to when they were first introduced. Used car dealers may advertise for only $1,000 less but when it comes down to it, they are going to be VERY hard pressed to move that car at that price. I know a good deal about the used car market and trust me, that car will sit for a long while at that price. Even if demand is high, if the new car price is too close to the used car price, used cars WILL NOT SELL, period. I have seen it many many mnay times and one of my best friends now runs a new/used car lot. Since the Sonata's price has come down since its introduction, the used car prices have to plummet as well. So for example when the Sonata was introduced it was at full sticker for $20K, now it has a 4K rebate making a BRAND NEW one only $16K. Now the one yearold one has to be significantly under 16K. A used car dealer may be able to slip away with a 2k pricing gap. So now we are at $14K resale which represents 30% depreciation in the first year!! There are trade offs to getting a car cheap, and resale value is one of them.
  • driverdmdriverdm Member Posts: 505
    Not a fair comparison. THe Malibu is over 50% fleet sales. The Impala is also very high but has very high retail sales too.
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    Since the Sonata's price has come down since its introduction, the used car prices have to plummet as well. So for example when the Sonata was introduced it was at full sticker for $20K, now it has a 4K rebate making a BRAND NEW one only $16K.

    Are you saying that a prospective used Sonata buyer is going to go to a new car dealer and go through price negotiations before going to the used car lot? I don't think that will happen very often! :D:D:D
  • ftrainftrain Member Posts: 29
    It's very possible that what he said was incorrect. I'll elaborate, because it confused me, too. We visited this Hyundai dealership because I had never actually been in a Sonata or done a test-drive--despite all the reading I had done about the mid-size cars. We took the test-drive, and the salesman invited us in to tell us more about the car and talk price. So we sit down and he pulls out the Sonata brochure and a handful of articles talking about the Sonata. And then he takes out a white spec comparison sheet with one of the columns clearly labeled 2006 Sonata, and the one next to it labeled 2007 Sonata. I asked him what that was and said it looked like the specs for the 2007 car, and I thought that was strange because that was the first I'd seen of them. And he then said, "Um, yeah, I don't know, I haven't looked that closely at this particular document." Then he looked it over for a second, and said "Yes, this is the 2007. And it's interesting because there is one change on here from 2006 to 2007, something becoming an option that was standard..." and he looked over it and went row by row down the specs and said "oh, yeah, here it is, the traction control and stability control." I was puzzled, not least of which because I didn't understand why he would show me that. And I said I thought that seemed like a strange change to make but maybe Hyundai felt they needed to start making a bit more money for what they were offering. He looked at it a bit more closely, his face went a little red, and he tucked it back into his packet of stuff and I didn't see it again. He then changed the subject.

    So, I have no idea what that spec sheet was, why he showed it to me, or if it was the actual 2007 spec sheet. I also have no idea whether the guy had any idea what he was talking about. He was a strange guy, and hardly impressive--we were turned off when he lit up a cigarette as he showed us the cars, but I think he really lost us when he ridiculed the wheel covers on the old car we were going to trade in. He had an interesting sales technique, to say the least. So certainly don't take what he told me as gospel. But I do know what he said and thought it was interesting and worth mentioning here. Maybe the specs he showed me were only for the 4-cylinder GLS, which is the one I was looking at.
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    Joe, maybe he was trying to sell you on the 06 by implying the ESC will cost extra on the 07. WIth a flaky guy like that, you will probably never know. ;)
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    I don't disagree with you. At the moment Hyundai is buying market share by discounting their products which makes it very difficult to sell a nearly new one on the used market - unless it is very cheap.
    I think that "down the road" in 3 to 4 years time, providing their quality holds up, used Hyundais will be in demand which will drive up their resales values to higher than currently projected. This is just my opinion - not based on any statistical fact.
    However, going back to my original post on the subject, right now, a Hyundai depreciates far quicker than competing models, and of course steep discounting doesn't help.
  • booyahcramerbooyahcramer Member Posts: 172
    6.5 year old car with 112000 miles on it. A few dings. Carpets stained (kids). I wouldn't have paid $5000 for it. Somebody did. I was happy. Didn't think it was weak at all. Thought your characterization was tho.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Considering I've had an offer of $4,000 for my 1996 Accord LX with 161,000 miles on it, two wrecks (repaired beautifully), and several dings, scratches and a broken rear-power door lock, I'd think you'd have been able to get closer to $6k...I could be wrong though. In case you were curious, here's my car that has been priced at $4k if I'd sell it right then.

    image

    image

    image

    image

    BTW, Private Party "blue book" value on a Camry LE 2.2L I-4 Automatic with 112000 miles, no additional options, and in only fair condition (assuming a couple of mechanical problems, iffy paint quality and stained interior, is currently $4960 in my area, so you really weren't too far off, but if you didn't have nay mechanical problems, I'd still think you could've gotten $6k without too much of a problem. As long as you are happy and driving what you want, you didn't do anything wrong!
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    If you traded in your Rav4, then you likely have not much of an idea how much you really got for it. If you would have bought your replacement outright, how much of a discount would you have gotten off MSRP? That discount was probably rolled into your "trade-in" value and would have made your trade in value look better than it really was.

    The only way to tell for sure where you stand on a trade-in is to bargain hard for the new vehicle without a trade-in and reach a bottom line price, then introduce the potential trade in and bargain some more. The difference is what the real trade in value that the dealer is going to give you, and it will be much less than he is going to turn around and resell your used car for.
  • philliplcphilliplc Member Posts: 136
    i was just pointing out that 2000 camrys with reasonable mileage usually sell for more - typically $7-8k. 112k is pretty high for a 2000, though, merits big deduction so your price isn't bad.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Just got my first look in person at the exterior of a 2007 Camry. Man what a bulbous nose on this vehicle! Personally I don't much care for the rear end either. Overall still not particularly a good looking car, though maybe a bit better than the last generation.

    Just based on exterior styling alone, I would rank it last behind Fusion, Altima, Accord, and Sonata in that order and maybe just ahead of Malibu.
  • choe13choe13 Member Posts: 348
    http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/30/toyota-announces-recall-of-1-million-vehicles- - /

    Hyundai has a new philosophy from their chairman(or indicted) and that is mistakes are intolerable. Not sure if toyota is following up with that these days

    I don't care what kind of track record you have, this is real bad.(3 major recalls affecting millions of cars)

    Initial quality to me counts quite a bit in comparison to the long run, i mean who wants to buy a brand new car that has safety hazards here and there

    Honda to me has the edge in the japanese auto war currently
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Beauty is in the..... etc.

    An alternate view is that this is the best looking and most definitive Camry ever. It is not for everyone for sure but rather than blend in as in the past it just states..
    'This is the new Camry, the best selling auto in the US. The time for bland is in the past.'

    It's got the best V6 powertrain in the class.
    It's got the best overall fuel economy in the class ( Incl TCH ).
    It's got the latest most desired safety and convenience features.
    It has a distinctive look.
    It has the best perception from the press and the largest part of the buying public.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Honda is a distant 3rd in the Japanese market. It's only in the US where it has a semi-premium reputation.

    It is a very good vehicle maker here.
  • jimmy81jimmy81 Member Posts: 170
    #1 in sales does not translate to being the best in anything other than being mass marketed well.

    Honda is a GREAT vehicle maker here, not just very good. C'mon bro! Their engines dominate racing cicuits. Their interiors have an aircraft feel. You can't go wrong buying a Honda.
  • jimmy81jimmy81 Member Posts: 170
    I wouldn't buy ANY car with that kind of mileage on it.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    But so many would...I wouldn't buy my car if I didn't know me!
This discussion has been closed.