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the ratings according to my research without into taking into consideartion the type of cars they are categorized as is as follows:
1)Mazda Protege (only after the 1997 Model)
2)Honda
2a) Prelude
2b) CR-V
2c) Accord
2d) Civic
In between a,b,c, can enter all the accura's except they are expensive, and magnets for car thieves
3) Toyota Camry (Toyota Cars are little overpriced)
4) Toyota Avalon (extremely over-expensive, but nice)
5) Mazda 626
7) Mazda Millenia
8) Nissan Maxima
9) VW Passat, Golf, & the rest of VW
Let me explain why I chose all this:
1) The protege, after 97, is the best in my reasoning because it is so so spacious inside and is actually made on a factory line that Mazda was thinking about to establish like the Lexus of Toyota, or Acura of Honda. They decided just to sell their luxury as Millenia. Price, unbeatable, still a little overpriced but has gone down considerably with deals and offers. used one should be around 8K - 12K.....Please check this site for prices of all used cars. Protege is extermely reliable for the models after 96, just one thing, make sure to get the CV Joints checked.....that's seems to be a consistent problem
2) Prelude and CR-V models preceed the accord and the rest, since they are built in Japan, not here in the US...u know what goes to cars built by domestic, i won't say no more
3) Camry and other toyota families excellent reliability, but a little too expensive for my taste(i am just getting settled and don't have a lot to spend right now)....If you had the money, buy the Camry....
4)626 and Millenia, not as reliable as Protege, built on two different qualities, even if the Millenia is like the Camry of Mazda,...I see a lot of people these days on the road with 626s being most pbbly pissed @ Honda Dealers' screwy and arrogant customer service, and not opting to buy a mid-size sedan. I say again, go with the Protege.
Last but not least, VW's - all I have to say is if you know the reputation of Audis ( and I don't mean how they look)....the replica of Audi Parts you would find in VWS. Audi is shatty....It breaks all the time, expensive to fix...what else, ...I don't know....OH,.....SORRY ABOUT THIS INFO...Maintenance on a Mazada could be a little expensive, but I think the company now is doing a lot to transform that......Good Luck ....
INFO Sources: JD Powers; carreview; NHSA etc.... Websites....
One point i want to get accross to buyers-- If you see a car that excites you - performance and beauty wise-- go for it. In my case, i dont want to be caught whining driving a car with an excellent resale value--reliability?-- at the same time complaining that that car is just plain ugly. Life is too short. In this segment, you have accord and the camry, but the world doesnt end there, there are a lot of choices which can stir the most difficult buyer. It is time to open our eyes that toyota an honda doesnt control the world and our choices. They just insult our intelligence. If they can reduce their inflated retail prices, then maybe they can regain back my respect. Plus, did i say that salesmen in toyota dealers are just plain arrogant? who they think they are?
Well, these are just my thought--take it or leave it.
A fully loaded Accord EX-V6 can be bought for just over invoice or right at invoice, about $23k. A Camry XLE-V6 has an invoice of just over $23k but doesn't come with leather interior or sun roof. Sounds like Accord is the way to go to get the most bang for your buck.
Looking at a Passat, but not sure of reliability, can anyone help me decide?
Have you found our current discussion at this link: VW Passat? You might want to check it out - there are lots of Passat owners hanging out there who can help you with your questions.
Pat
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Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
It cracks me up that after 14 years the argument is still pretty much the same. I've done tons of research, and the Accord, Camry, and Passat all look good on paper. The 626 doesn't look as great, but it didn't in '87, either. I drove the Accord today, and was much less impressed than I thought I'd be. My sister-in-law had a Camry; it was boring but nice. The Passat seems to be a good car, but it's much more expensive, has fewer features I wanted as standard, and doesn't have the attractive financing the Accord, Camry, and 626 do.
I haven't decided which car to buy, yet, but I'd advise anyone who's looking at these cars should check out the 626, too. (4.9% financing for 60 months with $1000 cash back makes it VERY attractive!)
I would check not only the vehicle but also the associated dealer network for honesty, integrity, and customer service before selecting a particular vehicle. I was leaning towards buying third Honda vehicle (Acura) before this incident happened. Now, I would definitely go to competitor brands like Lexus or Infiniti.
Has anyone faced the similar situation with their dealer?
Since I am ignorant in cars, I am looking for some advise on the following:
1) For the price I will have to pay, which car gives more advantages in terms of engine (driving) quality, safety, maintenance cost, and re-sell value? I am not really interested in the additional options such as a sunroof, leather seats, etc.
2) Now, for both cars, is it worth going for the V6 engine (the 2.8L engine in the Passat) rather than the V4 engine (the 1.8L in the Passat)? This going to be used as a family car. So, do I need the extra horse powers for a smoother driving or it is not worth the price?
3) In case of the Accord, if I chooce the V6 model, it automatically comes with extra options such as sunroof etc. My reasoning is that I don't need that and so may be I am better off to pay slightly more and get a 2.8L Passat with no options. Of course, I am assuming here that the Passat is better than the Accord. Also, I can get some good discount by bying the 2001.5 Passat instead of the 2002. So, please let me know if this reasoning is correct?
4) A last question: if you were to buy a family car in the range price of an Accord, which car would you go for?
Thanks a lot.
I am interested in wiper technology and this sounds very interesting.
with the 5-speed manual (Golf), I average 50 mpg on the highway (90% highway). But they would be a bit small (and pricey) for your tastes.
4 points for every much better than average score
3 for every better than average
2 for average
1 for worse than average
0 for much worse than average.
Out of a possible of 448 points, these cars scored the following for 1994-2001.
Camry got 385 for 85.9%
Accord got 377 for 84.2%
Maxima got 372 for 83%
All were considerably higher than every other model that I tested.
30K summary
Miles Covered: 29,927
Running Cost : $3,062.24
Running Cost per mile: 10.23 cents
Gas consumed: 1274.64 Gallons
Cost of Gas: $2,052.37
Average Economy: 23.5 MPG
Best: 30.2 MPG
Worst: 16.8 MPG
Maintenance Cost: $720.98
Maintenance Cost per mile: 2.4 cents
Gas Cost: $2052.37
Gas Cost per mile: 6.85 cents
Miscellaneous costs: 0.98 cents per mile
(Still working on Total Cost of Ownership with depreciation and insurance)
I can vouch for the Camry. I have an '85 with 135k and a '92 with 125k. They're incredibly trouble-free.
1. ALL the windows (even the sunroof) squeak, this started happening after a couple hundred miles
2. Rear discs and pads recently developed very deep (the service mechanic never saw anything like it before) scratches and needed to be replaced
3. Driver's door rattles when window is down
4. Dome light blew out one day
5. Driver's door weather stripping loose and falling off
6. Just yesterday for the first time, the engine fan came on when I turned the key to accessory mode
7. Rattles from the dash
And you wouldn't believe how arrogant the Toyota dealer was about this car, as if it were an Aston Martin or something! How much are we supposed to spend on a decent quality car these days? 30K? 40K? That's ridiculous.
Really cant wait to see one on the road...
Here is the link:
http://beta.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=11455
You, bet this is 100% credible spy shots...
I put together a short list of: Accord, Camry, Passat, Taurus, Maxima, Subaru Legacy. I fully expected to buy the Passat after reading all the rave reviews in the car mags, and having a few family and friends who owned them. One afternoon I went out and test drove the Passat turbo4 with stick, the Maxima v6 with stick, and the Taurus v6 with auto. The wife hated the Maxima, and the Taurus felt a bit crude by comparison. The Passat was sweet: good ride and handling, sweet turbomotor, good performance and that farfergnugen (sp?) "feel". The only annoyances were a slight "bog" off the line until the turbo spooled up; and in 5th gear at 75-80 mph, it felt like it wanted one more overdrive gear. On the way home, I said, "I guess we should go back and get the Passat". My wife (wise woman!) replied, "Wait till tomorrow and drive the other three."
So the next day I drove the Accord EX V6 for several miles (freeway, city streets, and winding road), then drove a new Camry v6 over the exact same course. On the curves where I tossed the Accord around it and felt like it wasn't trying, the Camry rolled the tires over and squealed and REALLY didn't want to be driven like that. I gave the Camry keys back and told the salesman it felt like a Japanese Buick. Thanks, but no thanks. Finally I drove a Legacy wagon over the same route. The practical side of me said the Subaru would be best for carrying bikes and stuff, but that same wise wife said, "You are emotionally attached to your cars. Which one grabbed you and felt like you belonged in it?" "The Accord", I said. "Then that's an easy choice", she replied. "I like it, too."
The practical side of me said the Accord was as quiet as, or quieter than, the Camry at highway speeds (though not in town), it carried all the stuff in the interior and trunk we needed for even long vacation trips with bikes, etc. The interior was very plush, the 6-CD changer was nice. But more than that, everything felt precise: steering, controls, knobs, etc. Seats were the best of the lot, better (to my rear) than those in the Passat. Performance was not up to the old SHO, but better than all the others except the Maxima. Dashboard ergonomics were superb: everything was in reach and relatively intuitive to operate, probably the best in the auto industry.
So: 12 months and 20,000 miles later, I love the Accord. It has done everything we have asked, and more, and gracefully. Every time I get in it I have to smile. Is the styling cutting-edge? Nope. But it ages VERY well, like a blue pin-stripe Armani suit, and it will look just as classic when it is 10 or 12 years old. I've added a stiffer rear sway-bar to sharpen handling response, but that's it. At a stoplight it will surprise a lot of folks who don't realize that 10-15% of the Accords out there are v6's. The 4's aren't slow, but the 6's are pretty darned quick.
Someone asked earlier about gas mileage. The v6 with auto has consistently gotten 28-29 mpg on the highway at 78-80 mph. I've never done an entire tankful of city driving, so I can't comment on that. BTW, the engine must be VERY tight when new: the first tankful on the road got 25 mpg despite driving gently for breakin. Then it slowly climbed for about 5,000 miles.
Last week, my wife's best friend went car shopping, and drove the Accord and the new Camry. She wanted a car that coddled her and made her feel luxurious. She got the Camry 4cyl.
As I said, Choices, choices....
Yes, there's been some maintenance (some of it major) over the years, and the dark red paint hasn't aged too gracefully.
We bought a 2001 Accord Sedan last year & honestly love it. The only thing we didn't like was that the green color was too dark (looked black).
After driving all those cars I would say, without question, the imports are far superior to the domestics. I remember driving the Chevy Malibu and then going to the Toyota dealer, driving the Camry and being shocked at how much smoother, more refined and better designed and engineered it is than the Chevy or any of the domestics. The same with the VW Passat over the domestics.
My favorite out of all cars I drove? It was the Passat. I thought it provided the best driving experience. There really is something to that German heritage. The car I actually bought? My second favorite. A 2002 V6 Honda Accord. Why? I keep my cars a long time and I just didn't trust VW's long term reliability. I know with a Honda or Toyota product one is virtually assured bullet proof quality and reliability for years and years, and hundreds of thousands of miles. In the final analysis that can't be said for American or German cars.
Pls do not post the "same" post across different boards. It can only make your post, sorry, phony.
Same post across different boards:
I test drove Saturn L/Mercury/Ford Taurus/Chevy Malibu/Pontic Grand Prix/ etc. and then went to Toyota Camry and *shocked* how good Camry was..
(I am not sure how many boards he posted as Edmunds lists only the last 5);
Pls try to be more objective in your postings and say, what **exactly** you found extra in a Camry against a Chevy/Grand prix. Thx.
The radio buttons on the stereo are big, cheap looking and feeling and no parts of the dash feel tactile. Unlike a Camry Accord or Passat which have abundant tactile feel.
FYI, the new l-series looks more like a foregin car than a domestic with the facelift. It looks very Hondaish to me for some reason. The materials are better and the quality has increased. The Saturns aren't as far off the mark as the other domestics. What I don't understand is why so many get offened about this type of matter (most here don't get offened like those at Caranddriver.com) The American car companies want us to buy their cars, but they are unrefined, underfeatured, underpowered(except the Grand Prix/Regal/Intrigue) and overall have lower resale value and reliability. I cannot see myself putting my hard-earned money into a new Chevy/Chrysler/Ford, maybe one day, but right now it's the Japanese are even the Germans who'll get my money. I work to hard to have a car that costs as much as 25K and up, and it have materials as flimsy as a Hyundai Accent Hatchback. Heck the Accent hatchback in some cases STILL beats these cars.
Futhermore, the American car companies have had more than enough time to catch up. I mean the Accord and Camry have been pretty much ruling since the mid eighties. The Taurus was a big seller and still is, but that's because every fleet dealer has a bunch of them as rentals. The Korean car companies, who were once below the American car companies have passed the American car companies as well. Compare a 2002 Sonata GLS to a 2002 Malibu LS? Who is more refined? Who has higher quality? FoMoCo, DC and GM would rather spend their money on developing new SUVs, and Hybrids. Chevy/Chrysler and Ford continue to call the Japanese cars "Bland" but at least they do what they are supposed to do. Honda may have a new SUV out, but at least they don't forget about the passenger cars. SUVs won't be the trend forever. Remember when the station wagon used to be the fad? I do, the fad died, and is now slowly starting to become a big fad again. SUVs are nice but the American car companies put way too much money into them, while leaving the cars unrefined, and uncompetitive with the competition. The materials alone would keep me from getting any American car. They are just too cheap. Also I personally don't like the styling of most american cars. I'd love to see the Vectra(?) as the new Malibu though(It is coming right?) Now there is a car I'd consider. Also, after driving two very good Honda Accords (a 1991 EX and 1992 DX) there is no way I'd buy a new car today that AT Least didn't have the refinement to match those two great cars. Until the Altima gets a newer interior, I won't buy one, and if I won't buy an Altima for it's interior, you can bet I won't be in ANY GM/DC/Fomoco car anytime soon. I am not biased, I am just a normal person who wants the best bang for my bucks.
Quality of a car really gives off an impression of the car. If a car has a cheap interior that is viewable each AND EVERYDAY, and shows obvious signs of cost cutting, one could only that parts of the car that aren't so viewable could be cheap, if not cheaper. If the interior is cheap, maybe they cut cost somewhere else too.