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Comments
G = good
A = acceptable
M = marginal
P = poor
Car - Front/Side/Rear
Versa - G/G/G (SAB)
Yaris - G/G/M (SAB)
Fit - G/G/P (SAB)
Mini - G/A/M (SAB)
Aveo - A/M/P (SAB)
xB - G/P/M (no SAB)
Yaris - G/P/M (no SAB)
Accent - A/P/P (SAB)
Rio - A/P/P (SAB)
is SAB standing for safety air bags?????
or side air bags?
wow, i am really disppointed about the accent!
according to those tests, the versa would be the " best" choice huh?
but in CR dec. 06 issue, they were saying that the versa had the worse braking distance they had seen in a long time...(without ABS- apparently difficult to find on that car)...
i am really confused now... :confuse:
which car am I gonna get???!!!! :mad:
The Versa with ABS would be a good choice for safety, but as you noted, ABS is hard to find right now. So other good choices are the Yaris sedan (note that the hatchback wasn't tested), if you can get it with the optional ABS, or the Fit. Another good hatchback for safety would be the Rabbit, and you can even get it with electronic stability control--another good safety feature.
i just dont like the FIT, the inside is great but the outside is just not to my taste.
I wish i could find a versa to test drive, who knows i might like it better than the accent.
after seeing my posts on other forums, you must know by now that i would never buy a sedan! :surprise:
i did re-check today on autotrader, and in a 100 miles radius,(i am in kansas) and the lowest i have seen was 15.620$...as i said before, most of them are really more like 19-20k and that's is without any fees...a little above my budget.
besides, where i am from,(quebec, canada) volks are really everywhere (most cabs/taxis are jettas!) and i can't say that the cars have change enough over the yrs for me to be really enthusiastic about them.
Fits and Versas (with ABS) are pretty hard to find also.
i am actually in rural kansas..the closest "city",(5000 ppl) is 30 miles away!
there are 3 chevy dealers that are pretty close, than all the other ones are in lawrence (which we test drove the scion xa, accent and yaris) and then kansas city where you can get any make.
well, KC is about 60-90 minutes away, not all that far, but with the heavy traffic, I am not sure i would enjoy testing a car!
Topeka is about the same distance and offers pretty much all the makes too. I have noticed that a lot of ppl around here buy their car over there, more so than in KC.
One factor we were considering was that even if we get a better deal, it is still far to drive to get the car checked if something goes wrong.
so far it is looking really good for the Accent, :shades: which is 45 minutes away (not bad) plus the salesmen were very pleasant to deal with when we took it for a drive.
I can say the same thing about the toyota/scion ppl, very nice too. the guy at Honda was really the typical car salesman and to be honest, we found him pretty annoying and really pushy, enough to avoid that dealership.
the car we test drove was too expensive for us, we made sure to tell him that BEFORE we drove it and mentioned that we would be interestd in an older model...did he hear us?
i don't think so because he kept trying to sell us a car that we could not afford!
anyways, i did not like the car that much (an element)
I understand that they all have a job to do (cars to sell) but ticking off potential client is not a good way to go IMO.
Also keep in mind you can have your car serviced anywhere. So even if you buy it in KC because of better selection or price, you can have it serviced at the dealer nearest you (or by some other mechanic, or even yourself if you are up to it).
we just dont like to go to KC unless we really have to.
the purchase has been now postponed to at least mid feb. :mad:
the way it is going, I might be able to enjoy spring rebate :P
i got some insurances quotes yesterday and i was in for a shock!!
yaris : 54$/mth
versa: 63$/mth
aveo: 68$/mth
accent : 81$/mth
with all these new infos (insurances plus the latest crash test results) i am starting to change my mind in favor of the yaris, even if i was NOT impress after the test drive.
so I guess I can reply to my own post :P
I bought my "new" car this w/e
finally decided to go back to my 1st love and got myself another JEEP cherokee limited.(my 3rd Jeep)
i coudn't be happier with it
thanks for all the great infos I got on this forum!!!
Wow! :surprise: From considering a Yaris 4 cylinder to a 4460 lb. Jeep Cherokee Ltd. 8 cyl! Did you not say that you were concerned about gas prices? The Cherokee is rated at 15 city / 20 highway.
i coudn't be happier with it"
Congrats, I assume you mean the Jeep Grand Cherokee, since the Cherokee has been out of production for a number of years.
ukraguy, "2007 Hyundai Elantra" #1378, 21 Feb 2007 11:49 pm
the CHEROKEE never was made in 8 cylinders, the GRAND Cherokee was.(also in 6 cylinders) and I never said it was a 2007 i said "new" which is true because it is new to me, it is a 2001 (which was the last year the Cherokees were made) limited edition with low mileage . I am getting 19-20 mpg so far with a 6 cylinder 4.0 liters which is not that bad but I agree it is not 35+ mpg
My way of looking at it is that I paid half the price for the Jeep that I would of for a Yaris and yes I pay more for gas but at the end of the month, my car expenses(loan plus gas+ins.) are still pretty much the same.
I did change my mind, I admit that, and last time I look, it was still permitted. :surprise:
I did like most of the small cars I looked at but finally decided that I wanted a Jeep again for the room and the 4x4 so I could bring my familly and both my bigs dogs in the same vehicule.
in my opinion, it is still important to do some homeworks and try many options, in my case I just decided to stay with another Jeep since I was extremly satisfied with the 2 other ones I had before. At least now I know I made an "informed" choice because I did try other cars out there and did not buy another Jeep "just because".
I am very happy with my decision.
on an ending note: why in the world would I be looking at 10k cars for almost a year and then go buy a Grand Cherokee that retails at more than 25k???? :confuse:
the CHEROKEE never was made in 8 cylinders, the GRAND Cherokee was.(also in 6 cylinders) and I never said it was a 2007 i said "new" which is true because it is new to me, it is a 2001 (which was the last year the Cherokees were made) limited edition with low mileage"
Actually, your post didn't say "new" either. Sorry for the mis-understanding, I think most people assume we are talking about new vehicles unless one says "used".
Good question! I didn't mean to offend, I was just astonished at how your search ended. But, now I understand that you meant a used Jeep, which as you say was new to you. It's all in the eye of the beholder!
p.s. what kind of dogs? I've got two myself and this also affected my choice of car; mind you I wish there were dog-proof covers one could attach to car seats.
well, you'd be surprised that I have been asked twice in the past 2 weeks
"is jeep making those cherokees again??"
my truck looks new, inside and out and because of the color, slate blue, which is not that common versus red, white or black. for ppl that are not familliar with the fact that the production ended in 2001, they could easily think it is VERY recent. :shades:
one car that is known to be dog lover's favorite is the honda element. rubber floor, removable seats and tons of room!
I have a 100 something lbs black lab and a "regular" size blonde lab.lol with an insane love of water, clear water or muddy water, it doesn't matter to them!
look this seat cover up:
http://www.collectionsetc.com/Item76095.aspx
if link doesn't work try this
www.collectionetc.com
Pet Car Seat Saver - item #76095
i think it would work, without spending a fortune!! let me know!
hope this helps!
What a terrific idea! I've used towels and bedsheets to cover the back seats but still find dog hair (and believe me two Shetland sheepdogs have lots of hair) on the back of the driver and passenger seats. This item should reduce that problem. Thanks fellow canuck!
I thought the Caliber has quite a nice driving position, and some clever storage nooks. Otherwise I really don't like that car--its cheap interior bits and its chunky styling are the main reasons. The Spectra5 has a few tweaks for 2007, with the biggest perhaps being improved crash protection, but otherwise I see it as overpriced for what you get (from what I've seen of the new Elantra hatch, there won't be any reason for me to look twice at the Spectra5). I sat in a base SX4 and it seemed a good value for the money ($15.5k) since it has AWD, but it also seemed very spartan compared to others in the class. (For that same money, I'd take something like a 3-door Rabbit, Versa SL, or Elantra SE orany day.) The Yaris had 3 gloveboxes and the rear seat had commendable leg and headroom for such a small car. But it shouted "CHEAP LITTLE CAR!" and, when equipped with necessities (for me) such as stereo, ABS, side bags/curtains, and a 60/40 rear seat, it costs about the same as some much nicer cars like the base Fit, Versa S, or Elantra GLS.
I was really impressed by the new Astra. There was a red 3-door and silver 5-door at the show. Both were locked, but I got a good look at the inside of the 5-door and it looked very sharp--very European (well, it is an Opel). The 3-door is a looker, and the 5-door is reminicent of the Versa but better rendered IMO. On paper, the Astra looks good too: standard (?) OnStar, side bags/curtains, ABS, ESC, 1.8L 140 hp engine, and other goodies. If the car drives as good as it looks in person and on paper, and Saturn can keep the price reasonable, I think they have a winner in the Astra. In fact, of all the automakers at the show, I was most impressed overall with Saturn's offerings--Astra, Aura, Outlook, Sky, and the new VUE all looked strong against the competition.
At any rate, it looks like no cupholders/center console. I know I am being some picky but I really prefer those features
Thanks!!
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-saturn-astra-1/153913/
And here's a photo that shows three cupholders. The question is, are there additional cupholders for the front, e.g. in the recess in the center console--that recess is not very visible in any photo I've seen?
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-saturn-astra-1/153923/
I'll bet you want to run right out and put your order in on an Astra now!
http://www.caranddriver.com/gallery.aspx?section_id=31&article_id=12768&gallery_- id=6098&window_id=1&seq=4§ion_prefix=autoshows&cnt=4
Looks like Subaru is ditching the "wagon" label this time, and the car clearly looks like a hatchback vs. a wagon. In profile, it looks very much like the new Elantra hatchback, but the front and rear are distinctive. Notice how the frameless glass, a Subaru hallmark, is absent.
The Rabbit is $15630 for a base model. At least from sitting in the Rabbit, its MUCH nicer than the Yaris. No flimsy bins, full instruments, etc.
Against the Rabbit, much worse gas mileage, VW's spotty reliability record, poor customer service record, worse resale value.
The Yaris has a funky charm, but for 1 grand, a much nicer car, but worse mileage and quetions with reliability. Once again on the fence...
Keep in mind also that even maxed out, the Yaris hatch does not have comparable equipment to the Rabbit.
For most areas of the US car length isn't much of a concern but here (Chicago) it makes the difference on whether you find parking fast or circle around for an hour, following people walking with shopping bags in the hopes that they will get in a car and free up a parking spot.
Maybe I should wait for the Smart, which is truly tiny...
Agreed. I think this should be an important selling feature of cars (and so it is in Europe) but here in North America the tendency is to go big so unfortunately this is overlooked. The Nissan Versa is an excellent choice for size, utility and parking. A curious fact: a hatchback is often shorter than its sedan version. Case in point: my Protege5 hatchback which is shorter than its sedan cousin.
Considered a 1st generation Scion xB? Overall length of 155".
The new Scion xB is quite a bit larger at 167". However, a current 2-door Rabbit is 166" so no real difference for parking considerations (probably mirror placement and turning radius would be bigger considerations).
The Versa reminded me style wise of modern French cars, which is no surprise, it has Renaul relations...I liked to goofy triangular windows just behind the windshield, cabin much more upscale than Yaris or Fit. Good visibility. Drove...OK, nothing special.
Then the Rabbit. I felt like I was in a much higher price category. So many details differentiate it from the other cars in its price range, incredible heavy duty door hinges, hydraulic struts propping up the hood, most upscale interior, great interior lightinig. Love the VW Emblem hatch with a little electric assist opening the hatch.
Firm controlled ride, better multi link suspension, torquey at low speeds, but not much gusto after 40mph.
A nice upscale small city car.
Its a car you really want rather than tick off reasons for practicality. The 5 speed action felt just like my friend's MINI, it may be the same manual tranny in both. Oddly, the nicest manual of all the cars I checked out lately, Yaris, Civic, Corolla, Rabbit, Versa, Fit, Accent was...the Yaris!
So, fully aware of possible reliability issues, and inferior gas mileage, I am initiating a purchase of a Rabbit. Its the only car in this category that made want the car, rather than just justify the car as a practical choice.
My only small gripe is the drab color choices for the Rabbit. Its supposed to be VW's youth model, why not make it in bright candy colors? Like the Renault Twingo, for example...
I wish they would sell the Fox
and the Polo
here in the U.S.
I live within bus rides of 2 VW dealers and there are private VW mechanics near, benefit of being in a large city. So reliability be damned! :sick:
The boxy artist formerly known as Golf just doesn't seem bunny like. Its austure all black interior lends it more to names like " VW Vault" or how about a Wagner reference, the "VW Walkure"? Pissed off immortal war goddesses seem to go with the car more than furry woodland creatures. :shades:
That's exactly why I *didn't* buy a Rabbit/Golf. At that price point, there are just too many good solid cars that are every bit as good and sell for less. A neat car, a classic hatchback, but too expensive.
...
I regularly see a Polo near my home (in Fort Worth, Texas, some 300-400 miles from the Mexican border) with Mexican plates. I don't see it frequently, maybe every few months. And every time I do a double take, try to figure out what it is, see the plates and go, "Oh, that car..."
Do you mean driver profiles?
My understanding is that insurance rates are based on statistics including cost to repair following accidents, incidents of theft, and popularity. One of the costliest cars to insure is the Subaru WRX, partially because it is frequently a target for theft. I wonder if the Accent rates poorly because of its lack of ABS as standard equipment.