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I used to do so for the extra gear, better mpg, and in order to get adequate acceleration from a 4 cyl. It no longer became necessary do have a manual to get those things, so I went to the automatic.
My son is shopping for a new car and his main reason for wanting a manual is he does not like the "slush" factor. He does,however, very much like the idea of a DSG (though he has not actually driven one). But when I ask him if they offerered a DSG in a car in his price range, would he pay an extra $1000 to get it, he is not sure. So in his case, the cost is a factor.
What is DSG?
I was not impressed with the new Fulan. They had a Milan hybrid and two Fusion hybrids, plus a Sport. None was available to sit in--either on turntables or locked. But they were sitting right next to the 2009 cars, and I have to say that I don't see a significant improvement in either the exterior or interior for 2010. I actually liked the interior of the 2009 Fusion better than that of the 2010. The dash on the 2009 looks sleeker and less cluttered to me than the 2010's. The controls and gauges weren't lit, however, so that might make a difference in overall appearance. I also reinforced my opinion that I prefer the looks of the Milan to those of the Fusion. Just too much chrome up front on the Fusion for my taste. I noticed though that the rear of the Milan looks unchanged, except maybe different colors on the lamp bezels. I prefer the rear of the old Fusion to the new one. The new one looks cheap to me for some reason.
The other mid-sizer I liked, although not a sedan, is the 2010 Prius. It was on a turntable, but the doors were open. It looks to me like it's moving just standing still. The interior looks a lot nicer and there was a seat height adjuster button (yay!) on the driver's seat.
That's about it as far as mid-sizers. I liked the Mazda6 also, but I had previously seen it The Malibu LTZ they had on the floor had an especially nice interior color scheme--a brownish two tone--that looked sharper than any Malibu I have seen yet. The best thing about it was the surround for the center stack buttons was fairly dark, which eliminated the cheap look when the black buttons are against a light background. That contrasted with a $31,000 Camry SE I saw, for which the dash was incredibly boring and cheap looking. But the Sonata Limited I saw had what I thought was the sharpest-looking dash in the mid-sized class--definitely the best part of its mid-gen refresh.
P.S. I saw more interesting vehicles outside the mid-sized sedan class than in it. My favorites were probably the 2010 Taurus (love the "My Key" feature that lets parents program a top speed for their teenagers; also it has heated/cooled/massaging seats). Also two new SUVs: the 2010 Equinox (very sharp inside and out, plus 30 mpg highway w/o hybridization), and the new XC60. It was fun to see the new Camaro (looks a lot like the Challenger) and new Mustang. I saw some great high-end cars too, but for that money they should be great.
P.P.S. Seemed like most domestic companies cut back on the show this year. Not many turntables or fancy displays, just... cars. Ford had far and away the best effort of the D3. The biggest surprise was Hyundai, which had a large floorspace that was packed for the first time I have seen. Usually you could bowl in there and not hit anyone. Ford was pretty crowded too--GM and Chrysler much less so.
I am looking at possibly getting a 2010 Camaro for a second summer car if I can swing it in a year or two. If i do, it will be a manual with a V6.
My big beef with them is they add nothing to the local economy, almost all their vehicles are imported and made overseas. At least Fusion, Camry, Malibu, Accord, 6 and Altima are produced in the U.S.
Sorry vanman1 but the Fusion and Milan are manufactured in Mexico.
Boz
. . . and the Hyundai Sonata is made in Alabama.
I was very impressed with the interior quality (about all you can really judge at an auto show) on the part of Hyundai and Ford. I too prefer a simple, clear layout, so these were among the very best I saw. Points also to VW and GM for good layout, though the GM cars ranged from very nicely put together (all the Buicks, plus the Malibu and Impala) to pretty darn grim (the G6 and G8, plus surprisingly the three Auras on display). An interior trim piece came off in my hand on a Saab 9-3.
It seems it's pretty difficult to screw up the basics right now--most cars seem to have good driving positions, reasonable assembly quality and so on. But because there are so many good choices, the market is unlikely to forgive even a small miscue right now.
My ratings for the rest of the midsize sedan class, based on nothing more than an auto-show impression:
Malibu--very very nice, but they didn't have anything lower than a 2LT with leather on display--I'd like to see a base cloth-seat model for comparison
Impala--a pleasant surprise
Aura--attractive but not as well put together as the Malibu
Altima--not bad, but not great either
Camry--not a standout
Accord--OK on its own, but unexpectedly below much of its competition in interior quality
VW CC--extra deluxe accommodations, but meant for shorter folks than me
Sebring--poor layout, bad driving position, could hardly see out of it--in short, everything that's wrong with the 300, but in a smaller, cheaper package
ETA: I too found more interest in other market segments. The standouts for me were the Genesis (sedan and coupe), the BMW 1-series, the Volvo C30, and the VW GTI and Jetta. I'll second your praise of the '10 Taurus as well. On the smaller end of the spectrum, I found the $9990 Versa 1.6 stunningly comfy and spacious. Also, I was hoping Ford would have a Fiesta on display, at least on a turntable, but sadly no dice.
My friend has a V6. OK car but the interior was really poorly put together.
Toyota is running some crazy incentives right now. You can get a well equipped LE auto for under $20k.
That pales in comparison to incentives offered by others in the mid-sized class right now. For example, I can get $4750 off any 2009 Sonata right now--before the negotiating starts. So we are talking a well-equipped GLS (equivalent of the Camry LE trim) for under $15k, or a loaded Limited I4 (non-nav) for under $20k. Or how about a well-equipped Fusion, Milan, or Malbu for $16k?
Camry still carries a pretty high price premium for what you get. If the plan is to sell the car in 2-3 years, it might be worth it because historically they have held their value pretty well, but it's questionable you would ever make up the initial price difference compared to other cars. Better to buy the Camry because you like it better than other cars, vs. its reliability record (it's no longer the champ there) or resale record.
And yes you can get the last generation Fusion on the cheap, which I think is a great car. The thing is that in three years that design will be 8 years old.
The Hyundai is a great deal if that is your taste. I personally like the Honda Accord but I don't think the incentives are as steep there.
As far as a "premium" for the 6-speed auto in the Malibu... you didn't read my post re the huge discounts on the Malibu, did you? What kind of "premium" are you talking about compared to, say, a comparably-equipped Camry? Does the 6AT Mallibu cost more in real-world bucks than the Camry? I don't think so. It's actually the Camry that has the price premium relative to the Malibu.
FWIW, the 2009 Fusion is a design that debuted in late 2005, just a few months before the 2007 Camry debuted--so in three years the 2009 Fusion's design will be 6-1/2 years old, and the Camry's will be six years old. Big deal. I'd take that "old" Fusion any day over the Camry.
What are the prices on the G6 and Aura? Maybe you can get a steel as they are just shorter versions of the Malibu.
Why would you take an "old" Fusion over a Camry.I have heard nothing good about it until it was the "new" Fusion
Then you've ignored most of what the auto press has said about it over the years, and a lot of what's been said in these forums. Virtually the only consistent complaint has been that the engines are a step behind the best of the competition. Fusion has gotten rave reviews for its ride/handling balance, its reliability and quality control.
As for quality of the interior, the Malibu is excellent.
If you didn't hear anything good about the 2006-9 Fulan, you haven't been paying attention to the mid-sized sedan market over the past 3 years.
Hard pressed to find a Malibu for under $20k?? Hardly! Just yesterday I saw several ads in my local paper for Malibus (not just base) well under $20k. And those were advertised prices--might still be some negotiating room there.
To me, driving in a new looking model is important. A car costs a lot of money, I want to ride in something that looks new and stylish. :sick:
I disagree.
All new:
2.5L engine, 15 more HP
6 speed transmission
Electronic power steering
Better MPG 23/34
ESC standard, all speed traction control
BLIS, CTA
Power dome hood
New Grill design
Redesigned fenders
Redesigned quad beam head lamps
Redesigned air dam and fog lamp design
New tail lamps
New deck lid and 3rd stop lamp
New instrument panel with ice blue lighting
New center stack
Available 12 speaker stereo
Redesigned seats
Cabin air filter
Flex fuel 3.0L
Aggressive deceleration fuel shut off for 3.0L
Acoustic head liner, upgraded carpet, thicker side glass, acoustic laminated windshield, constrained layer damping on the floor pan, A and B pillar insulation, improved door seals and more sound absorption to quiet the powertrain.
That's the SEL, there's additional upgrades for the Sport model.
Or to put it another way, the '06-09 Fusion didn't need much fixing--so Ford didn't do much fixing.
So was I. For example, just saw this in today's paper: Malibu 1LT with 6AT, $23k MSRP, advertised price after rebates and discounts $17,495. Too bad you live in an area that doesn't offer good deals on cars. I would think a large metro area like Boston would be more competitive, especially in today's market for new cars.
Realize though that today's "new and stylish" model can be "old stuff" real fast. If you want the latest style that won't change for the longest possible time, the best choice is the most recently redesigned (mid-sized) car: Mazda6.
I sure would. A butt-load more entertaining to drive as well as feeling more secure, studies show them to be more reliable, and a lot less costly. Plus Sync is hard to beat! The only real "problem" so to speak was with the powertrains, but even those were reliable, if about 10% low on power and economy.
i found a few 2lt's, but 90+% are 4 speeds.
my guess is the bottom dropped out of the car market, before many were made, or those are the ones that sold over the last 6 months.
GM did something similar with the trucks. The old model 4spd was the only option until two years into the product cycle. They really didn't start to wise up until the gas crisis. GM is cheap :mad: . Even my Civic as a 5spd auto.
Boston doesn't usually have too many car blowouts inside the city. We also only have one Pontiac dealership. Honda, BMW, and VW dealers are everywhere. I personally don't like the new Jetta. My ex had one. The interior was too cramped, too many knobs and buttons, not a lot of utility, and kind of ugly.
The Jetta is a compact, vs. mid-size, so I'm not surprised you'd find it cramped compared to most cars in this class.
The Sandman :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
my mother has an 03 malibu and i got 33 round trip to boston and back the 2 times i took it.
it took 75 mph for it not to downshift on the hills on the pike.
i have an '07 fusion and i think it is the best looking of the mid size sedans.
someone ran into the back of my car last week. the insurance adjuster for the other insurance company said that's a great looking car, when he came by to assess the damage. i had washed it the day before.
before i bought the fusion i drove a focus, and you definitely get a little more respect with an average size car.
my kids are old enough to drive so i wanted a car that i could fit in riding in the back seat.
not sure if you into ice hockey, but i am a big bruins fan, and am really looking forward to the frozen four ncaa's, although pulling for miami.
That's really interesting, because the 6AT is standard on the 2LT (and LTZ). :confuse: It's optional on the 1LT, but when I did a search within 50 miles of me in the Minneapolis area over half of the 1LTs had the 6AT.
Also the deals you have in Minnesota are available here in the North East. Those are some steals. It would almost be worth flying to the Midwest to get one and then drive it back.
I would think someplace on the Eastern seaboard would have decent deals on a Malibu?? New Jersey maybe?