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My thoughts exactly (about comparing the new guy against the annual sales-victors).
Having said that,my KIA does seem to have a much nicer fit and finish than any Mopar I have ever bought.If Chevy can do that with their Bu, why cant Chrysler with the Sebring? :confuse:
A lot of people share that opinion. It will be interesting to see where Cerberus takes the company.
When you're betting $25k don't you want the safe bet?
So what am I supposed to base my decision on? A test drive? JD Powers? CR? Or a combination of everything? I think using all the possible information combined, I would come up with the same common denominator.
Perception is largely formed by reality.
I had had my '05 Sonata almost two years last February (totally trouble free) when we bought an '07 Sonata SE (mid level trim).
The price was $16,651; $18,189 OTD incl 6% tax, dealer fees, registration, etc. That's a far cry from $25K.
(MSRP was $22,080)
In my opinion, Honda has the best overall customer service (and cars) in this segment, although Toyotas' is pretty good. People who sing Hondas' praises have a reason to do so.
I've owned lots of honda stuff including a generator, lawnmower, 2 accords (one of which rolled over into a ditch and still ran another 30k miles until I sold it) and all have been quite good from a reliability standpoint. Until a few years ago, I was very committed to Honda and their products.
But I came to want/need a vehicle that had better cargo carrying characteristics and Honda only had the CRV and some hard to find Accord Wagons that cost more than I thought they should. I never liked tall cars because I felt handling was compromised too much so the CRV was out. A friend had a Subaru that had been reliable and other people I knew had good luck with them so I gave it a shot and it worked out pretty well. Then a couple years ago, I wanted something that still had good hauling capabilities but was a bit more fun to drive and got the Mazda6. After a couple years of ownership, I have no complaints about reliability (which is what I expected from the research I did in Consumer Reports and JDpowers) while I still enjoy driving it. To me, it's a great combination of comfort, performance, good aesthetics/ergonomics, and utility (because a hatchback can carry many large loads that a sedan could not handle).
Bottom line, I think most of the cars in this segment will be very reliable... so while I used to sing the praises of Honda exclusively, I've come to understand that the midsize sedan segment has many good quality cars to choose from.
The price was $16,651; $18,189 OTD incl 6% tax, dealer fees, registration, etc. That's a far cry from $25K.
Well, the Sonata SE is a far cry from an Accord EX V6, IMO. The important thing is to get your money's worth, whatever the amount may be.
Someone interested in a BMW or Mercedes is more likely to come from a Honda then a domestic car. Don't you hate it when common sense gets in the way of your conclusions? I'm a former Honda driver that drives an Audi.
Thats very interesting. A sample size of 1 is always very valid to me. Do you have any links to data that suggests this is actually a trend? I find it interesting that someone would go from a vehicle with a very high rating for reliability and durability like a Honda to one that lacks that record, like a VAG product.
I think the point wasn't so much that someone went from vehicle X to a BMW or Audi, just that certain car buyers evaluate their needs against all available cars on the market at the time they are planning a purchase.
I would not let a commercial influence me that much one way or another. I did not trade in my Mazda when I saw their dumb commecial with people in a circle singing "zoom, zoom, zoom" and I did not go out and by a VW when I saw and enjoyed their new Jetta commercials a few years ago, the "it's time to pimp zee auto" ones
I wouldn't let it stop me if I was really interested in buying one. I see a lot of ads that are "so dumb they're cute" and like a lot of them, but this one just got to me. My wife feels the same way. I used to participate in sample groups once in awhile so I can't believe that they ran this ad by a sample group and people actually thought it was good. I can appreciate campy as much as the next person but this one was just obnoxious. To me there is a difference between tongue-in-cheek and stupid.
I agree Honda isn't the only choice, but if I were to get a midsize sedan it would be an Accord. I nearly bought the EX a few years ago. But then I drove the Forester XT. Much roomier than a Mazda 6. Sunroof is great and the turbo makes it a blast to drive. Full time AWD doesn't hurt either.
Thanks for letting us know!
I do. Thanks for your assistance.
Yup, I almost got the Legacy GT wagon at the time... if it weren't for the huge price premium (about 5 k more than the Mazda6) and the seats that weren't comfortable for me, I would have been very happy to own one. Extremely fun to drive (though a bit soft - nothing a couple suspension bits couldn't fix) with excellent grip in the NW's wet weather due to AWD. And of course the crash ratings of the Legacy are excellent too.
I find it odd that with the increased desire for more fuel efficient vehicles that more cars in this category aren't offering more body styles that offer greater cargo carrying capability. Some wagons and, to a lesser degree, hatchbacks offer utility similar to a smaller SUV/ crossover w/ out the weight/gas mileage and handling penalty. If consumers want a vehicle that has more flexibility in hauling things, they will have a hard time finding many choices in this segment anymore. But in the end, fortunately the Legacy/ Outback and the Mazda6 are good choices for those who want family friendly comfort and utility.
So, what determines the 9 that get displayed - whoever sent Edmunds the most money that month?
That was the case when I created the Midsize Pickup Comparo discussion.
Why the obvious chip on your shoulder?
The new Sebring seems to get no respect.
The manufacturers of the cars that are displayed within the nine vehicle limit send us the same amount of money as your annual membership fee, so you can see that you have the same weight with us that they do - actually you have a lot more, because you are here talking to us and they are not! :-D
FWIW, there a large number of vehicles in this segment that "get no respect" - all we have to do is get a conversation going about any or all of them if anyone is interested. Give it a try!