What Car is Right For Me? Help Me Choose!

anonymousposts

will probably give you more MPG but the RL will give you more room. The Accord is a newer platform than the TL so it might have better crash tests and will have side curtains which the TL will not have and SAB have been proven to make a difference in crash tests.

frisconick

The TL has side curtains, front and back.

njpd

Thanks for your replies.

We purchased the TL, we like the ride & handling better.
It is Silver w/ black '02 w/ 33k miles, certified, bumper to bumper until 62k miles & power train 7 year or 100k.
What about extending the bumper to bumper warranty until 7 years or 100k. Is it worth the extra $900?

Thanks again.

kyfdx

Not if you already have the 7yr/100K powertrain warranty.. and 30K more of bumper to bumper..

I'd pass...

nifty56

Good choice, my next car will be a Acura, I have a 2005 Mazda 3 and so far not happy with it. Poor A/C is the biggest concern, should have just bought the car with no A/C and saved myself $1000.00 CDN . Squeaky brakes, eratic automatic shifting, door rattle and the 04's have a long list of TSB

nightcrawler29

I think Nissan makes very good cars, and if it came to buying a domestic or a japanese car, I would go for the japanese, because of its quality. Now I would buy a 3-4 yr old car if I were to keep it and drive it down to the ground. I've heard that Maximas are good, but be very careful when you buy used. One thing you have to be comfortable with is that you would probably have to change the tires soon, then also do other maintenance if needed. Otherwise if you get the car at a good price, as according to blue book, and the car is sound, and has a clean title, then you should be fine. Instead of buying to a dealer, I would check if someone is wanting to sale his car because the lease is coming to an end. Those are usually good deals because leased cars are usually taken good care of. So I would mainly check private paries and try to obtain financing through a bank. You might go to a dealer, but the price will probably be much higher than if you got it from a private party. Check price on kelly blue book under private party if buying through private person. Check price on kelly blue book under retail, if buying through dealer. Mileage should be around 12K - 15K per year, so a 4 yr old car should have around 60k miles. But sometimes the decision of either buying through dealer or private party is based on financing and your credit status. So if you have good credit, use it wisely.

z71bill

There are TSB's out for the squeaky brakes and door rattle (Mazda3) -

mdaffron

the 04's have a long list of TSB

... Which is very common for the first year of a completely new car.

I don't want anyone to come away from this discussion thinking his early one off the line is any reflection of the car as it is today, so to be fair, I'm going to post the TSB list here and let everyone see how few apply to the 2005.

http://web2.iadfw.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/mazda3.html

Meade

anonymousposts

Not the 2002 model. The SAB & SCAB didn't come until 2004.

fowle

Some help please.

Here is the context. City driving plus about 1000 miles a month highway driving. 2 kids (ages 2-4). I am 6'2', and only will drive a manual transmission. I have looked at other cars in the class but I am only currently interested in these 2. I will have to finance the car, and likely for 5 years if I went for the Jetta, however I plan to drive the car for at least that long. If I were going to rank my priorities for the vehicle they are safety, comfort and driveabliity, mileage, and price with very little difference in ranking. However the price is about 4K different between the vehicles.... egads

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

kyfdx

I didn't see reliability or resale in that list, so I'd go with the Jetta TDI...

If those things are important to you, the Civic would be better....

Something to keep in mind... If you are going to keep this car at least five years... Those kids will get bigger... :surprise:

regards,
kyfdx
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taxesquire

based on your criteria, I agree with your host. On the Jetta, I forget whetehr it was redesigned for '05 or '06. If '06, you could save probably a lot of $$$$ if you're not interested in the new model changes and go for an '05. If the redesign was in '05, I would stick with '06s only.

Same with the Civic - I sut don't know what changes were made and whether they were major or minor.

As an aside, I would enjoy the Jetta over the Civic. It has a much nicer interior, IMO, which makes the ride that much more enjoyable.

You could probably do very will on the Jetta if you were willing to buy used. It doesn't resell as well, in general, and with the major redesign, that just makes older models less valuable.

fowle

I suppose resale is important but in many ways I thought they might even out. The Tdi should hold value because of the engine, and I suspect the Honda will because its reliability.

Thanks for the comments so far!

ggesq

Just a quick FYI, the Civic will totally be redesigned for 06 and I believe there will be 4 different models to choose from. Obviously, there are pro's and con's to getting a "new model" as opposed to one that a year old but different strokes for ..... Hope this helps.

jschunke

Thought I was the only one out there who needed
a quiet car because of tinitus. The Town Car is
a decent candidate especially 2003 or newer. The
problem with the town car is the engine groans under
load. Same with the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis.
I bought a 1996 Olds Delta 88 with that 3800 motor.
That motor was a noisebox. Junked it. Then got a
1993 Lexus LS400. Advertised as the quietest car
on the road. The road noise was awfull. Added a few
layers of Dynamat Supreme on the fire wall which really
helped the engine noise. But got rid of that car too
because it still hurt my ears. Beleive it or not my
Oldmobile Delta 88 has a very quiet motor. They just
don't make them like that anymore. The Buick Rainier
is supposedly quiet with the 8 cylinder. We'll have to wait
till 2007 for a quiet RWD sedan from Buick. Other
candidates are Jaguar, Caddy STS.

frisconick

I owned a 1996 Camry and it was by far the quietist car I ever had. You literally could not determine if the engine was on, it was so quiet. Test drive a new Camry.

taxesquire

I would imagine a Lexis ES would be quiet, too.

taxesquire

You might find this article worthwhile: economy sedan comparison

frisconick

It is interesting, I test drove a 96 Lexus and I thought the Camry was quiter, and the better ride.

taxesquire

Which Lexis? For awhile, Lexis had a cute 2-door model that was supposed to be sporty. I can see a Camry being quieter than that.

chris333

I am trying to decide on our next car. It is for my wife, who has no interest,except it must be an automatic. I will be driving the car some too, so my as well get what I like! We have 2 kids ages 4 and 11 who will also ride in the car. It will be a 3 year lease. We are in NY state. The max price for this car is 16,000 even. Only option needed, air and auto.Driven the following:

Cobalt, Corolla, Sentra, Mazda M3.These all seem to be just inside our price range. The Civic with air and auto seems to be a bit outside our budget.The Saturn Ion is out, as the backseat seems very crowded. Have I left any out? Wish I could have a 5 speed, but not possible. Still, would like it to be a little fun to drive.Also, don't want to spend time at the dealer for recalls. We would turn in car at 3 years and be finished.

So, any ideas? What would you choose??? Also, I see Neon, is pricing way below the others as it is on the way out, but I know it is really an old car. Thanks for the help!!!!

kyfdx

If you are leasing for three years, you should focus on which of these cars is cheapest to lease, not their MSRP.. You might find that the Civic is in your price range, after all, and that some of the supposedly cheaper cars aren't...

regards,
kyfdx
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pat

You probably ought to take a spin through the posts (all of them!) in the discussion at this link: Economy Sedans (~$16k-$20k). You might find them very helpful. Feel free to ask any further questions there or here.

frisconick

I don't really remember, but the Lexus just didn't impress me enough to pay extra for what was essentially the same car. These were extremely quite cars.

sox404

pat - am considering the 2006 330i but have reservations related to feedback that the car does not do well in the snow. Does the AWD option make a difference, or should i have an Audi A6 in my future?

taxesquire

Of course AWD will make a difference, as would FWD, as would use of snow tires. Remember, nothing can "create traction." All one can do is maximize the traction you have.

FWD maximizes traction by keeping the engine's weight over the wheels that drive the car. AWD maximizes traction by providing power to whatever wheels have traction. Still, its up to the tires to establish traction, and snow tires are the best at doing that.

Before discarding a car over bad traction, find out what tires are standard and see how they rate for snow traction - many people like to use tirerack.com. Depending on how they rate, you can see if the car comes with another tire option, or you can try to swap them out as an aftermarket dealer option (don't know how succsful you would be with that, though). You could also invest in a pair of snow tires. Considering that snow tires will help your regular tires last longer ('cause they won't get used between December and March) I think the main issue is whether you have the storage.

That being said, please realize that since I never researched BMWs or Audis, I'm not really answering your exact question of which is better in the snow.

silverfox1

Both cars are new and the Maxima can be purchased for only $400 more. I know they are different cars but the Maxima has more features (memory seats, auto dimming rear view mirror, home link, and more) but do not like the dash and orange lighted instruments. The Passat has nicer dash and interior and is rated higher in gas mileage. Currently own 97 Maxima GLE and 2000 VW GTI with VR6 and like both cars. Drove both cars and the Passat surprised me in ride and performance. The Maxima is heavier and quick. What car should I go with?

taxesquire

If speed and acceleration is your primary issue, then I'd go with the Maxima, but I think the Passat is an overall better car.

I had a 2001.5 v6 Passat, which had 10 less hp than the 1 your considering. Actually, if 200 hp is under the new ratings, then the model you're looking at probably got about 240 hp under the old system. If you're comparing HP to HP, make sure you get the #s under the same test.

Anyway, I know several people who were turned off by the Maxima b/c of the significant torque steer, even in the luxuray model. My Passat was a bit underppowered, but still fun to drive. It handled well for its class and the interior was so luxurious, I constantly got compliments from passengers and valet drivers.

So, all-in-all, if HP is the deciding factor, make sure you compare both cars under the same system. Otherwise, I'd go with the Passat.

silverfox1

Hp not my total concern, the creature comforts on the Maxima SL ( memory seats, mirrors and steering wheel, home link and auto dimming rear view mirrors both inside and out) that attracted me. I agree that the Passat seems like a nicer car and the torque on the 2.0T (207 ft. lbs.) really moved the car. For some reason VW chose to keep the desired features mentioned for the 3.6L Passat that is just coming out. Of course that car will be well into the upper $30K range which is out of my budget. I can get the 06 Passat 2.0T with the #2 package for just under $27K. The 05 Maxima SL (new) for only $27,400.

elvis4prez

My neighbor has a Toyota Matrix that he likes.
He has the manual transmission and engine upgrade that makes his nice and zippy.
That should be in your price range if you stick to a real basic model.

I like the idea of our host to look into lease options if that is more your thing. The Civic and Toyotas should maintain their value better than most so hopefully that will translate into better lease options (i.e. higher residual value).

taxesquire

Hmmm...that makes it a bit tougher. Home link and auto dimming mirrors are real important to me. Will the Passat have auto a/c? If not, and the Maxima will, I'd have to change my vote!!!

Auto a/c is my absolute gotta-have luxury feature. Auto-dimming mirrors is up there, too. Since my wife rarely drives my car, the memory seats are not an issue.

How would an '05 Passat GLX stack up? I don't think the side-mirrors dim, but it'd have everything else and just slightly less HP than the Passat you're considering. Still, that drop to 190 could be too much when compared tot he Maxima.

silverfox1

I had my eye on a 2005 Passat GLX (new) that had everything including an acceptable silver gray color. $31,440 list that they would let go for $25550. Took my wife out for a test spin and she thought it road hard like my 2000 VW GTI GLX. She liked the ride of the new 2006 Passat and thought its interior design was done with a women in mind. So that took care of the 2005 model. The 2006 Passat has similar automatic air like my GTI GLX which also is loaded with features. The Maxima though has not only automatic air but dual zone operation. It has all the features that the 3.6L Passat will have with the added packages for I believe $10K more than the 2005 Maxima. I like the Passat but have a problem giving up all that features on the Maxima but than that ugly dash and orange lighting on the gauges.

taxesquire

The Passat does have great dash colors, but the floating gauges on the Maxima is kinda cool, too. It does have floating gauges, right (gauges move with the steering column during adjustments)? I saw it on the 350 and it looked the same on the Maxima, but I didn't try it out.

silverfox1

I drove a 2005 Maxima SL and it looked like the gauge cluster was fixed to the sloping dash. The steering wheel was interesting as it had a joy stick on the steering shaft that would electrically move the steering wheel. This setting was part of the memory system. Also when you shut the car off and pulled the key the seat would move back to ease your exit from the vehicle. I failed to mention that the side view mirrors also tilt down when you back up so you can see how close you are to the curb. I am slowing selling myself on this car.

hondaconvert1

Try out the new 2006 Avalon before your final decision, you will not regret it, unless you have no interest in Japanese vehicles... I drove both BMW and Passat, but none has the comfort, luxury and reliability of the Avalon...

victord1

Also when you shut the car off and pulled the key the seat would move back to ease your exit.

I believe that's the easy entry/exit on the Maxi. My '03 Maxi SE has that feature and a heated steering wheel. I think the new '04-'05Maxi has that same feature. I don't know any other cars in this price range that has heated steering wheel. If you live in the northern states and you don't always wear gloves in the winter, you'll apppreciate it.

Two things that I don't like about the Maxi (I test drove '04 Maxi SE) are wide-turning diameter and rough/choppy ride. I've been taking quite a few long-distance (300+ miles) trips, and everytime I wish I had brought my other car (TL-S) instead. Maybe, I'll trade in the Maxi for an Accord Hybrid. Easier ride + better gas mileage.

The '06 Avalon is also interesting, but again: wide-turning circle.

silverfox1

I am on my third Maxima (97 GLE) and have been very happy with them. I also looked at an SE both in 90 and 97 but after driving it felt the ride was too harsh. Amazing how much softer ride a GXE or GLE has compared to the SE. I would check out an SL next time as the ride is much more forgiving. This would be an easy decision if I had not driven the 2006 Passat with 2.0T. Just a very nice car but lacks all the creature features.

taxesquire

The Avalon is not in the same class as the Maxima and Passat. Avalon is a full-size family sedan that's geared towards comfort and luxury, sized more like the Crown Victoria and lincoln towncar and cars like that. Maybe the Chrysler 300c. The Passat & Maxima are mid-sized sedans geared to balance sport and luxury.

michael_mattox

Depending on your budget:

A LEXUS LS is as or more quiet as any car made....would recommend anything from a 98 LS 400 to the New LS 430...(16-17 in. wheels for the most quiet and Bridgestone Touranza tires)

When you turn the engine on in my 01 LS430 you have to look at the dash to see if the lights are on so you know the engine has started....

silverfox1

Emailed a local Toyota dealer for a quote on a 2006 Avalon XLS and to my surprise he came back with $32,704 on a list of $32,904!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, what a discount or no hassle price! Nice car but know deals there. Can't see paying close to list for any car.

hondaconvert1

Not sure about that quote, but you can get a 2006 Avalon XLS with the following options:

JBL ® Synthesis AM/FM Cassette Audio System 6-Disc In-Dash Changer w/12 Speakers (360 Watts) (EJ)
Carpet Mats And Trunk Mat
Wheel Locks
Color-keyed Mudguards

with around $31,000 OTD, but you need to be patient and shop around... As an FYI, I was going after an XLS, but I am interested now for a Limited version...

wxcrawler

I'm looking to buy a car, and I have about $10K to spend. I've decided I want a "smallish" sedan that gets relatively good gas mileage. Here is my dilemna......should I go with an older ('01-'02) Accord/Camry/Altima, or a newer ('03-'04) Grand Am, Alero, Malibu, etc? I know every car is different, and no one here could tell me exactly which car to buy. I'm just looking for some general advice on comparing the quality of a Japanese import with approx. 60k miles to that of an American car of similar size with approx. 30K miles. Are there any general "rules of thumb" that may be able to help me decide which would be the best way to go?

Thank you very much.

strokeoluck1

I've owned numerous cars - both foreign (or whatever that means these days) and domestic. I typically put >100,000 miles on my cars before I sell or give them away.

My honest opinion is that there isn't a whole lot of difference in long-term quality these days. I KNOW there will be plenty of disagreement on this topic, but in my humble opinion it's true. For instance I just gave my 2000 Ford Taurus (120,000 miles) to my Mother-In-Law. Aside from a minor front suspension problem a few years ago - that cost me about $300 - the car was flawless in terms of quality. Was it boring? Yes. Was it an Acura? No. But it cost me $19,000, got me reliably from point A to point B and didn't make me look TOO terrible in the process.

Recently however I upgraded to an Acura TL after strongly considering the top-of-the-line Ford Five Hundred. Frankly I think the Ford has more user friendly features than the Acura. BUT, the Acura is an exhilirating drive - something the Five Hundred couldn't match.

So you need to figure out what's important to YOU. If quality is truly the most important thing to you then I would carefully review JD Power and Consumer Reports rankings. Many here will argue with how the results are compiled or influenced but I think at the end of the day they're pretty indicative of the product you're getting.

Assuming all things are equal - including quality - you might also want to think about resale value. Although I paid $30,000 for my Acura I fully expect it to be worth at least $10,000 in five years (it will only have about 40,000 miles on it) whereas a Taurus with 40,000 miles on it will probably be worth ~$3,000. So for the extra few thousand bucks over a five year period I get a much better (in my opinion) driving experience).

If you go with the domestic cars my only recommendation would be to go with the Grand Am. I don't recall that the Alero has received many accolades re: quality. And the Malibu is too new to have a long-term record. The Grand Am has a long history. I'm not sure but if they use the same power plant as the Grand Prix then it's VERY reliable. It's a bit dated, but very reliable.

Good luck,
Rob

taxesquire

As far as researching Consumer Reports Opinions on older models, I'm not positive, but I think that if you subscribe to CRs online website (rather than the print magazine), you can look at back issues.

Also, regarding the vehicles you mentioned ('01-'02 Accord/Camry/Altima, '03-'04 Grand Am, Alero, Malibu), I would expect the Altima to be the most fun-to-drive, the Camry to have the smoothest ride and the Accord and Alero to be in-between. I don't recall when the redesigned Altima came out, but I'd stay away from a car built in the 1st model year. Odds of having a problem go up.

ghulet

My mom is finally serious about replacing her '88 Mercedes 300E (she bought used in '91) that has somewhere around 400k miles. She's retired (in her mid-50s), so paying cash, but doesn't want to spend a fortune. She really wants another Mercedes, probably an '02-ish E320. I'm assuming her savings are in decent shape, but my stepdad is about to be unemployed for who knows how long (he's a contract software engineer, lots of jobs being farmed out to India and such), so I'd much rather her be in something a bit less complex and expensive to fix, and with as long a warrranty as possible (why shell out $20k+ to be in a car that you have to pay to fix?). Oh yeah, she lives near Indianapolis, so snow is definitely an issue (try driving an old 300E w/o traction control up a steep driveway in winter), so I'd like her in a FWD; she doesn't seem to care much. Naturally, she wants it to be safe, have a roomy back seat, ample performance and luxury, without being a gas hog. I've come up with a huge range of possibilities in this price range:

01-02 Mercedes E320 (anyone know anything about the 4Matic in this range?)
00-01 BMW 740iL (nice, but thirsty and expensive to fix as an E320, if not worse)
Newish Buick LeSabre (friend has one, she likes the room, otherwise a long shot)
03-ish Infiniti I35 (fast, inexpensive used and reliable, not much else-kinda boring)
00-03 (last-gen) Acura RL (boring, but probably safe, though not so great MPGs)
02-04 Toyota Avalon (see Acura, except better economy)
New Accord EX V6 (bit short on lux vs. even older 300E, otherwise perfect IMO)
new-as-possible Volvo S80 (nice, fits the bill, but are the bugs worked out yet?)

I'm really trying to get her to check out the Accord V6. Since she hasn't bought a car in ~15 years, her perception is kinda stuck back there (when Accords were small, with 4-cylinders and cloth interiors) and her knowledge of current cars is almost nil, IMO. The differences between an Accord V6 and an E320, at least on paper, are not that great any more. The safety factor that used to sell Mercedes back in the day versus other cars doesn't really exist any more, either. Finally, I've heard virtually nothing good, reliability-wise, about any recent Mercedes products. Something tells me she wouldn't get a low-drama 400k (hers was on the old one) out of a newer E320.

I'd love anyone's comments--what do you think she'd be happy with? Did I miss something else she ought to check out (Fords and Chryslers, for some reason, are probably not a possibility)?

kyfdx

Previous body style Acura TL or TL-S.. '02-'03....

I'd get one of them before the Infiniti I35... But, very similar cars...

Probably a little under $20K.

ghulet

....about the Acura TL, I think they're a bargain (there's a nice, blue, 70k, one-owner '02 TL-S near me for $13.9k), personally I'd love one. I think they're a bit too sporty for mom (overweight, arthritic), and the back seat looks a bit claustrophobic (the roofline and general lowness of the cabin don't help).

pat

Check out the history and the previous posts regarding TL-Ses during that time frame in the Acura TL discussion. Not to scare you off, but they were hit pretty hard by the transmission issues. And of course I'm sure that probably most of them were fine (and therefore probably a lot owners had no reason to post or otherwise let their experiences known), but just be aware.

tturedraider

I really like the I35. I think it looks nice, handles well and has loads of power. Also, lots of standard equipment, including Xenons and Traction Control. And a great warranty - 4yrs/60k miles bumper to bumper & 6yrs/70k miles powertrain. I put my mother in one. She paid $27,500 three years ago for an '02.

Hopefully this reference won't get this post deleted. There are a number of leftover, brand new '04 I35s out there. Do a "Power Search" on Autotrader and you can find them. I know of a couple of them at Key Infiniti in South Carolina that have the cold weather package which includes heated steering wheel and seats - both front and back. There are others elsewhere as well. I imagine the dealers are pretty motivated to move them.

I have no personal interest in this info. Just passing it along.

ghulet

I think my mom 'might' consider one. She's a bit of a flake when it comes to cars, she takes forever to decide (duh, she's had her car 14 years) but doesn't do much research, I suspect. She's loyal to Mercedes (I talked her into that 300E), but I'm trying to encourage her to at least look at some others, as there are many nice cars to choose from these days; the car market is a lot different than back then, when Mercedes, BMW and Audi were pretty much the only offerings in the mid-sized sport/lux sedan segment. She (like my brother) tends to treat car buying like buying clothes or a pair of shoes; they won't do it for a while, then will go buy something they think they like without seeing anything else, doing any research or shopping around. It's bizarre.