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Best Values for the money. various catagories.

harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
edited March 2014 in Hyundai
I checked out the Fusion, G6 and Sonata sedans, and to me, most for money(I should say) is Hyundai.
No leather for the G6 sedan, at any price.
No 8 way seat adjusters...on LX, on sale, for about 19-20K,(man, that saves the front part of my legs on long drivers, being able to lower/raise that front part of the lower seat cushion, especially since the seat cushions these days seem sort of short on length).
No tilting headrests.
No auto manual shifter(fusion I tested did not have one. Is this available on Fusion?).
Among other items. Yes, LX has that telescopic steering column, and the adjustable brake pedals, etc, like others have.

So, I dunno. Sonata had 235HP, 221 for Fusion, and 200HP for G6 sedan.

Add the warranty that last for ever.

Difficult for us to justify buying a vehicle that has less content for same msrp(on sale, or not)> they are all about 1000 apart, on any given day/sale.

I think G6 does not have leather? At any price.

The G6 coupe looks good, but no hatch, so to me, it has no advantage over a sedan.

Caliber: here's another vehicle. great at 15,899 or so, with SE, automatic and cruise. Add sunroof,etc, you are forced to the mid level model, which is 2K more before adding any other options, like sunroof.
That alone could make it about 2,750 more, where as if it were available as an option on the base SE, it would only cost around 16,600 or so, still a bargain. HHR, is it better, on sale? It seems shorter on headroom with sunroof.
I dunno.

You get the idea.

I would like something else, but when i compared the std and available options list to Hyundai.....
I dunno.

Hmmm, maybe when Geely or Visionary vehicles(malcholm bricklin's Chery company) get here, and 4-5 years under their belts, we can all get 40K type cars for 25K?
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Comments

  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    For the 19,535 priced out for what i want, it appears Suzuki has the new Grand Vitara for under 19K, V6, 185HP?
    Have not looked into it very much, other than the ad/msrp.

    Again, what would you consider a great value in certain classes of vehicle, and too much for one?

    Caliber with 300HP, rumored to be 23K msrp is a bargain,maybe best buy of any similar crossover, if it is true.
    172HP Rt for nearly 21K? Compared to this 300HP turboed version> Not such a good deal?

    It also depends on MPG, if that is what you are looking for, or just a useful vehicle , for low price(the under 16K Caliber is a good choice).

    Best, New& Improved, Worlds greatest, etc, in advertising is called "Puffery", if i recall correctly. Just words they use to garner your attention to an ad or whatever.

    Anyhow, to your, what is a best value? Content/price combo(of course, gotta last awhile, too, otherwise price/content are worthless). MPG?
    "What's currently cool"(or, as they used to say," Trying to keep up with the Joneses").
    Resale value( lot of people drive cars 3 years, and dump them, I have found out).
    We Try to pay ours off, and maybe keep them 1 year after pay off, or longer.

    Curious as to see what people say!
    Take Care-Not Offense.
  • reddogsreddogs Member Posts: 353
    My office manager looked over the same class of cars and bought a brand new Hyundai Sonota since it was the cheapest. When she asked me, I told her to speak to the service manager and get everything they would do if any problems in writing as she could be spending considerable time there.

    Well you guessed it, this morning traveling on the highway with the babies in the car and without a warning light ever coming on, the car just died. Well she had to wait for the flatbed for hours, then someone to pick her up, when she finally made it in 6 hours later I found out about it. She said they had found a progblem with the electronics and the altenator and the battery were toast for sure. So the "most for the money" is not always the "best value".....
  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    No offense but your story doesn't seem to add up. Unless you have some kind of proof, the problem, as you described, sounds like a hoax. Thanks for participating, though :)
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,818
    Yeah, we want proof.

    A polaroid photo of the car on the flatbed, affidavits from the lady and anyone else in the car, a character recommendation from her minister, and the name of the dog of the tow truck driver.

    Or, we could accept that this sort of thing happens occasionally. I don't think any make and model is immune from it, and I don't see any reason not to accept the story at face value.

    -Mathias
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Couldn't anyone say the same thing about ANY of the posts here on Edmunds? :confuse:
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Hmmm, let me take a crack at this. I have test driven or rented a bunch of different models in the last 6-12 months, so I have one or two opinions on this subject.

    Subcompacts: best value here, I think is not quite here yet. Once the Fit arrives, assuming it is about $13K for the base model as expected, I think that will be the number one. As for right now, the xA is the best value if you are spending $14K or so, whereas at the $10-12K mark I think it is the Accent, just because of the warranty and the overall driving experience. The Aveo comes close, but no cigar, and the warranty isn't anywhere near as good, for what is basically just another Korean car.

    Compact: probably Focus right now, based on real-world transaction prices. The Corolla comes close, but the Focus is a bit nicer in some ways and a bit less expensive too. Plus, doesn't Focus have its own special longer-than-Ford warranty? The Civic, while a very nice car, is much more expensive, and has one or two odd features for my tastes. Cobalt is perfectly average, and with prices coming down for the '06 MY, is a good value too. This race for bext value is close.

    Midsize: I have to say, the '06 Sonata is pretty impressive. Barring stories like the one above, they seem to have really got their act together, the warranty is still super-long, the interiors are on par with or better than many of the competitors. The drive is decent, I have discovered. I think the cheaper '06 Camrys give it a run for its money right now, only because the new model is a few weeks out and dealers are dishing out rock-bottom prices on '06s. Once that's over, Sonata is a clear winner. I do think the Accord is a good value too, but it is clearly more expensive to get into. And I like the Fusion in some ways, although stuff like partial-power seats makes me wonder why they only went 90% rather than 100. Malibu, uh uh.

    Large cars - the Impala is the least expensive in the class, but screams rental and feels cheap even after the revamp. I haven't seen an Azera yet, can't say there. The Avalon is a great value if you are willing to spend more, but are mostly being built with lots of options and packages in typical Toyota style, so are quite expensive. The Lacrosse is kind of icky to sit in, and the rental I drove felt loose - the Impala is a better drive, as is the Avalon. The Lucerne is much nicer inside, quite impressive, although it should be given the price tag. Haven't driven it. The 300 has too much hard plastic for the price, drives well though. Hate, I mean HATE, the lack of outward visibility in that car. Is there a clear value winner in the large car segment? I don't know. Perhaps it is the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis, which I am happy to say I have never been near in person. I bet they sell for cheap though, and if you're going to suffer a cheap interior, at least you should get a cheap price with it.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • prosaprosa Member Posts: 280
    It's much derided for its styling, but the Amanti might be worth some consideration in the large-car category. And don't forget the 500/Montego, though that might be stretching the "large" category a bit.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'm with you...I shopped all the sub-compacts and the Scion xA stood out as the best value for the money. It's not the perfect car but for $14,000 you get Toyota quality, really high quality materials and a car that's fun to drive...and yes, you can stuff a mountain bike in it, too. Not a speck of trouble, either, and 33 mpg in the city going up those San Francisco hills. Compared to the Mini I wanted (the fastest one) at $32,000 (!!!!), I felt like I settled for less but not that much less.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    I as many of you know am a diehard GM guy. Truthfully probably the best car for the money can be narrowed down to one simple brand. ACURA

    Acura easily has the best priced, most technological advanced all around premium cars money can buy in each segment.

    NSX
    RL
    TL
    RSX
    TSX
    MDX
    RDX

    do I really need to say anymore ???? This discussion is closed. :P J/K

    Rocky

    P.S. The Sonata being classified as one is a joke. right ? :surprise:
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    P.S. The Sonata being classified as one is a joke. right ?

    Nope. Wishbone front, multi-link rear, piles of interior room, 16 million airbags, power-happy aluminum-block 2.4, short gearing on the manual, all for about $17k. $20k gets you a V6 and 5-speed slushbox.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    I'd still take a G6, Camcord, Impala, and most definitly the Aura over the Sonata. However I do agree Hyundai is making great strives and will catch up in due time.

    Rocky
  • zodiac2004zodiac2004 Member Posts: 458
    You forgot the best Acura car of all time - the Integra.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    about the new Sonata is that in the back seat, the wheel wells cut into the passenger cabin something awful. But that doesn't affect the shoulder room, legroom, or headroom measurements, so that shows one way that a car can have good published measures, yet still be cramped in some ways.

    I don't think you could get 3 people across comfortably in the back seat of it. But then one of my buddies has an '04 Crown Vic, which is probably the widest passenger car around these days. And you can't get 3 people across comfortably in it, because of the big driveshaft hump, the way the wheel arches cut in a bit, and the contouring of the seats.

    I think with large cars, I'd narrow it down to a 300/Charger, Avalon, Lucerne, or 500/Montego as good values, if interior space is a concern and you don't go too hog-wild on features. Although the RWD on the 300/Charger makes the center position of the back seat uncomfortable, so I think of it more as a roomy 4-seater. Avalon and Lucerne seem roomy all around, and both have nice interiors. The 500/Montego is also roomy, and has almost a limo-like back seat. But I find legroom up front to be lacking. More like a 70's pickup truck, with a high seating position, but not a lot of room to stretch out.

    I don't consider the Impala to be a large car. Sorry, but if I can't fit in the back seat of it, it AIN'T a large car! But that's just the curse of the W-body...they've always been short on legroom, IMO. Even their old GM-10 ancestors were lacking here.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Well actually the NSX is the best Acura of all time. However the Integra was a awesome seller and a pocket rocket. It lead Honda to where they're at today. Now don't tell me that the perception of Toyexus is better than Honda/Acura. :surprise: Shoot....When your dumping gallons of oil to keep your yuppie Toyexus running at 150K while a honda engine isn't touching a drop then you will realize that guy on those Lexus commercials with his "pursuit of perfection" or
    (whatever the hawg wash slogan is) was actually referring to a Acura. :P

    Rocky
  • zodiac2004zodiac2004 Member Posts: 458
    running at 150K while a honda engine isn't touching a drop then you will realize that guy on those Lexus commercials with his "pursuit of perfection" or
    (whatever the hawg wash slogan is) was actually referring to a Acura


    I have to take issue with you here.
    They are both very well built cars but Toy/Lex defnitely have the edge in quality.
    They are both comparable when new, Toyota and especially Lexus holds up better over time than their Honda/Acura counterparts - with the exception of the Teg.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    And before this gets too silly, well I had a 1979 Mopar 318 that was running fine at 248,000 miles when the water pump finally went out. And a 1986 Chevy 305 that made it to 192,000 miles when the car got T-boned!

    How well you take care of it is really more important than whose name is stamped on the valve cover/engine shroud/whatever.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    I'll tell you this much. My friends that are loyal import buyers have camcords. Justin's Camry was in the shop alot and Joe's Accord never broke down and is still running with 200K on the odometer (a few yrs. ago)

    Joe baught a BMW 325Ci coupe. I'm not sure if Justins Camry is still running since he traded it in for a BMW 525 a few years back.

    As far as Lexus goes my friend Doris's ES300 looks good on the inside and outside but is starting to blow white smoke and eating oil. I believe she said it had 140K on it.

    Rocky
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ..truly believe that Camries don't break. One guy was nearly in tears as he told me of the water pump failing on his Camry at 17K miles. He felt as if he was living in a fool's paradise.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Every car can break. However Justin was foolish and felt his Camry was inferior to Joe's Accord. I guess the
    "Car Gods" taught him a lesson. :D

    Rocky
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    too carried away about Hondas, they are the KINGS of oil consumption as they age. As a huge generalization, I would expect a Honda to start consuming oil sooner, and to consume more oil at any given mileage, than a Toyota. Including Lexi and Acuras.

    Once a car is that old, it's fine with me if they use some oil, and despite their oil-drinking proclivities, most really old Hondas (more than 200K miles) still run sweet and smooth despite the miles.

    And andre is right - beyond 100K miles, it has a lot more to do with the care and maintenance than it does with the manufacturer, as to which cars are still going strong and which ones have begun to falter. Before the 100K mark, I would say it has more to do with the manufacturer.

    But I thought this thread was about new cars and the best values out there?

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • ubbermotorubbermotor Member Posts: 307
    Small cars; Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra.

    "Entry Level" luxury; Volvo S40, Saab 9-3, Acura TSX.

    Mid-size sedans; Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion V-6, Hyundai Sonota LX, Hyundai Azura GLS, and Mazda 6.

    Mid-size coupes; Monte Carlo SS, Toyota Solara, Honda Accord.

    Mid-sized luxury; Acura TL, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS350.

    Full size; Dodge Magnum/Charger, Chrysler 300.

    Sports cars; Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan Z

    Roadsters; Mazda MX-5, Ponitac Solstice.

    Sporty coupe; Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang, Infiniti G35, Mazda RX-8.

    Semi-sporty coupe; Acura RSX, Mitsubishi Eclipse.

    Chick car; Scion TC, Hyundai Tiberon.

    Pickup; Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger.

    SUV; Infiniti FX, Nissan Murano, Toyota 4-Runner.

    Big SUV; Chrysler Pacifica, Cadillac Escalade, Hummer H1.

    Real SUV; Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Xterra.

    Cute-Ute; Toyota Rav-4, Saturn Vue, Honda Element.

    Mini-van; Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, Honda Odyssey.

    Sports sedans small; CTS-V, M3, C55 AMG.

    Sport sedans medium; STS-V, S-type 4.3, M5.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    But what if you just had to pick ONE top value in each segment? Is it even possible? ;-)

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    Good list overall!!

    I would toss Azera (by the way, no GLS trim, only SE and limited) into the full size category; Sonata too if so chooses, since it does meet the large sedan requirement :)
  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    I would not really call Tiburon or tC a "chick" car no more than a Mazda3, to be honest.
    You go to any Hyundai fan site, and it is 99% guys, 300-400 members, maybe 10 are women.
    Chick car? Well, I dunno.... VW's seem to have the most amount of females driving them the one's I see. when a male is driving, it is usually the VW Beetle(new) and Black in color(never any other). Have only seen 2 guys driving any VW.

    Tiburon? 75% guys, from what I have seen.
    tC? Do not know the specific stats, but at work, 2 guys own a tC, and one lady(1 out of 3 owners is female in this instance).

    Sonata: it seems to be about 50/50, in my area, but on almost any Hyundai/kia fan site, 90-95% of owners are men.

    Go to the service centers, men are there.

    Same for Scion . tC, xB, almost always men at the serivce center.
    Maybe some research, when I get a chance, to find percentages of buyers.

    Cobalt, on the other hand, I have only seen 1 guy out of 15 cobalts here. My neighbors got one, for the woman of the household -to drive to work and back- a grey colored model, in fact.

    I have seen about 50/50 for mix of buyers, for the Mitsubishi Eclipse , the newer model.

    I know more young women buy the Corolla than the tC!
    If my local Toyota/Scion sales person is correct.

    ;)
    take care, not offense.

    PS: I read an article about the 1973 CVCC(now called Civic), and Women were the main buyers, due to the reliability and MPG :surprise: !
    Wonder if that still holds true? ;)
  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    nowadays, with female racers always in the AutoWeek mags racing sections,etc.... what's a "chick" car? ;)

    I see mainly women driving the G6, and only guy I saw was driving the G6 Coupe, blue color.

    I live in SW Ohio. Your demographics(or whatever) may be different, and only guys drive G6 sedans, adn women drive only Magnums?

    LOL ;)

    Just kidding. hey, to me, drive what you like.

    Someone doesn't like it? Tell them you will drive whatever they think you should drive, as long as they make the payments. That usually works ;)

    Take care/Not Offense.
  • prosaprosa Member Posts: 280
    And of course Mercury is trying to position itself as a chick brand.
  • ubbermotorubbermotor Member Posts: 307
    Your right, I should have used the term "poser". In my day "poser" cars and "chick" cars were the same. Now days the chicks drive all the nicer cars, and the guys all drive wanna'be's with 300 lbs of FX's and a "performance" muffler.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Someone doesn't like it? Tell them you will drive whatever they think you should drive, as long as they make the payments. That usually works

    Well since I'm feeling kind I will buy you a Ford Fiesta and will make the payment for you. :blush: That would be $9.95 a month right ? :P J/K I couldn't resist. :D

    Rocky
  • au1994au1994 Member Posts: 3,356
    agreed. Case in point: got my wife an 06 Volvo S40 in August of last year, 2 weeks later the fuel pump control module quits. Fixed, no problems, got a loaner etc, no problems since.

    Going back, on the day dad picks up his brand new 82 Olds 98, take us to a ball game an hour and a half from home. Engine throws a rod. Learned a few new words that night on the side of the road. ;) He was still an Olds man until the end though. Got rid of his last one, a 1998 "88" last year for a Camry.

    2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe Granite Crystal over Saddle
    2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
    2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha

  • john_324john_324 Member Posts: 974
    One could charitably call the category "Youth-friendly sporty cars" perhaps.

    That is, affordable coupes that usually look wild but act mild and are pitched at those who want something cool-looking but don't have a lot of money.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    maybe not the Ford Fiesta but the Ford Festiva did. The Ford Fiesta did come first, though, and it was sort of a Ford-produced "world car", with boxy, hatchback-type lines to it, IIRC.

    Now, when you're talking the Ford Festiva, come about 1988 or so, you're talking an entry by Kia Motors of South Korea, and now you're cookin' with some strong utensils nearby, rockylee.

    It was a very reliable little rig for the thousands and thousands of Americans who bought one to enjoy, and it rang the first "Kia Motors" bell I had ever heard. It battled the Chevy Sprint fiercely.

    The rest is history, as many have said.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    2 of my friends own Fiesta's. I however could picture me hitting a cattle truck once again in one. :surprise: Sardines anyone ? :blush:

    Rocky
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    but you best be watchin' out for those Texas fires, I guess, too. Whoa, horsey! :surprise:

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • ubbermotorubbermotor Member Posts: 307
    Another "Olds man" that didn't just migrate to other GM divisions. Clearly not many did.
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    Well since I'm feeling kind I will buy you a Ford Fiesta and will make the payment for you.

    Hey Rocky, I'll take you up on that. Make mine a Fiesta RS:

    image
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    What is that ? Is that sold here ? :confuse:

    Rocky
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    It's a European Fiesta (one size smaller than the Focus) with a body kit and a 180hp turbo motor. The Fiesta ST is a milder version with 150hp in Euroland. The closest we ever got to that was the SVT Focus, which was killed as part of Ford's master plan to sell the dullest cars possible in the US.
  • au1994au1994 Member Posts: 3,356
    Nope, he shopped GM, Buicks mostly, but after riding in my sisters Camry it was a done deal. He had been a GM man almost exclusively for life: 8 Olds, 2 Caddy's, 4 Chevy's and a Buick. He did buy Mom a Dodge Omni once and a Mazda 626 once. He did have a 65 and 66 Mustang and a 56 T-Bird as hobby cars at various times.

    Now he's in the Camry and Mom has a Subie Outback. Or the 'Outie' as she calls it. That replaced a 99 Malibu.

    It is very painful for him to admit, but their current cars are far superior to the GM ones that they replaced in terms of comfort, features and styling. Like I said he was a loyal GM man despite problems on some of their products:

    The one Olds I mentioned that blew the motor.

    Another Olds ate 2 transmissions.

    Yet another went through axles.

    One of the Caddy's was burning oil so he ditched it.

    And these were not high mileage cars when the problems occured. Dad was one of those that traded every 2-3 years. Thats changed now that he's closing in on retirement.

    2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe Granite Crystal over Saddle
    2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
    2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha

  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    and its kind of funny, I was tooling along in 1999 in a 1997 Ford Escort in purple metallic paint, enjoying the Ford but finally realizing it just plain looked dull. Dull. Kind of hapless.

    My friend had bought a white 1999 Kia Sephia and I asked him what he thought. He could have told me that it drove like the yellowest Yugo on the planet and I still would've looked into test driving my own 1999 Kia Sephia sedan. Really, there was more design intelligence in that 1999 Kia Sephia than the entire Ford lineup put together from 1970 to 1999.

    I did and the rest is recorded down in history for automotive junkies to feast upon. The Japanese and the South Koreans both have the ability to concentrate on and produce into production solid and cool little cars.

    History. It's a strong, solid thing. Watch Kia and Hyundai dominate the world automotive market. It will be fun. :D

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    Unbridled enthusiasm is a wonder to behold. :shades:
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    nobody, I mean NOBODY, is more enthusiastic than iluv. It is good to see someone enjoying their ride so much. :-)

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Agree. He's gotta be up their as one of Kia's biggest fan. ;) What is there 4 or 5 of them. :surprise: J/K. I couldn't resist. I will say they are coming along very well, and if the Chinese don't gobble up there fair share of market share to quickly, they will be a major player eventually. ;)

    Rocky
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Kia is a major player already - they have a more widespread dealer network than some brands that have been here longer (Suzuki and Mitsubishi come to mind, maybe Mazda, VW, and Subaru too). And they are recognized as a value leader, even if they also still have the rep that you toss a coin on dependability if you go for the Kia purchase. I am sure the warranty overcomes peoples' fears on that score in a lot of cases.

    Me, I think another value leader is Scion. All Toyota inside and out at Kia prices. If they have a model that meets your needs, they are one of the best deals going.

    I was watching this new show on prime-time last night - either Fox or NBC, I forget which - which is about this youngish guy that works for an airline, and he drives an xB! I chuckled.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Just sat in a Xa at the Mazda dealer while getting an oil change. It was a dark blue colored one on their used car lot. Incredibly comfortable seats in the front...even with my bad back, beat the snot out of my Sentra's rock hard chairs! Totally impressed with the ergonomics and the quality materials used on all the different surfaces. The speedo in the center stil would be a deal breaker for me though...absolute ridiculous place for it. I'd also hate to be in an accident with one to. Not much crumple space at all.
    But for someone on a tight budget, it probaly fits the bill perfectly. It's also got that "cool" factor going for it to! Would like to drive it once to see if it can indeed get out of it's own way.

    The Sandman :)
  • b3nutb3nut Member Posts: 83
    "Agree. He's gotta be up their as one of Kia's biggest fan. What is there 4 or 5 of them. :surprise: J/K. "

    hehehehe....well, I've been fairly won over as another Kia fan. Ended up pulling the trigger on an '06 Rio5 hatch, almost 1300 miles on it already and I've had it a week. :surprise: Well, I did take it on a quick road trip I had planned well in advance, didn't know I'd be trading the old ZX2 in before I left though! So far so good, I really like the car. Smooth on the highway, not luxury car supple but taut and controllable, and bumps are handled nicely. It's very nimble in town as well. We'll see how she does on the long haul, but it's certainly tightly screwed-together, they put a lot of thought into the design and engineering. It's miles ahead of what they were doing a few years ago. Won't be long and I'll have her in for her first oil change at 3K...

    Todd in Beerbratistan
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Hey, Todd.. Where is Beerbratistan?.. it sounds like a good place for my next vacation.. ;)

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  • b3nutb3nut Member Posts: 83
    The land of cheese, brats, and beer! :D

    Also known as Cheesecurdistan, for the deep fried cheese curds. Makes your arteries harden before you start even eating them!

    Todd in Beerbratistan
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    called the Wisconsin Dells, right, Todd? Fun under the sun in sausage and beerville. Worth a trip to go see, I would think. :)

    BTW, Todd, in the size of car I like the one you bought could very well be the best value on the planet for what you paid. This latest round of Kia's steps them up and at least equal to Toyota/Scion's in the same range, IMHO.

    The Scion xA or the Kia Rio5 or the Kia Rio LX sedan are my current front-runners for futures.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    you've driven the new Rio, and you don't hate that shifter? I don't get it.

    Or did you drive an automatic? C'mon, you can admit it! ;-)

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • b3nutb3nut Member Posts: 83
    Yup, lots of waterparks. I have yet to actually go to one, though I did stop at the Cracker Barrel there on my way back home from a dog rescue transport. We're planning on taking our niece up there sometime this summer though...there's plenty of room in the back of the Rio5 for the munchkin. :D

    Todd in Beerbratistan
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