Help me choose a new car

ichy · #1 11-23-2009, 11:58 AM

It appears that Whitey, my beloved but troubled Ford Focus may be coming to the end of her life. She's still running for now, but I've come to accept the fact that any day could be her last. This of course leaves me with the dilemna of what kind of car to buy to replace her. I'm looking for something reliable, reasonably economical and a little more fun than a boring old Toyota Corolla, and right now my top two contenders are the Scion tC and Mazda3.

The Scion has the advantage of being very reasonably priced, and their no haggle policy means I can walk into a dealership with a check and come out with a car, no endless bargaining, arguing, etc.

The Mazda seems to get slightly better reviews, but is a bit more expensive (I'm only considering the hatchback version, the sedan doesn't appeal to me) and I'd have to deal with the usual dealership nonsense. The Mazdaspeed version of the Mazda3 really appeals to me, but it's several thousand dollars pricier, burns more expensive gas and will probably cause me more maintenance headaches down the road. Any thoughts/alternative suggestions?

Norman · #2 11-23-2009, 12:02 PM

I'm lovin my new Jetta....does that help?

ichy · #3 11-23-2009, 12:05 PM

The Jetta's not a bad car, but VW's reliability isn't that great from what I hear.

#4 11-23-2009, 12:05 PM

Subaru Outback. Best car I've ever owned.

julieperl · #5 11-23-2009, 12:05 PM

I love my Acrua TL. It's the nicest, most fun car I've ever driven (OK- with the exception of my uncle's 62 Corvette).

Scaggsville · #6 11-23-2009, 12:08 PM

Fashionplate has a very interesting thread on end-of-life issues today.

I was wondering, ichy, do you support auto-euthanasia? Will you Kill Whitey before she is Found on Road Dead of natural causes?

ichy · #7 11-23-2009, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slapperhead

Subaru Outback. Best car I've ever owned.

Subarus are good cars, not the cheapest though, and AWD adds weight, complexity and cost.

LoqoLibra · #8 11-23-2009, 12:09 PM

My initial experiences and recommendations had me looking at the Corolla and Civic.

I swore I would never, ever drive, let alone own, a Mazda based on pre-1998 horror stories.

The Mazda 3 kept meeting all of my criteria, and they have been turning out some decent cars the last few years, same as Nissan, in an effort to compete with the foreign "big two" of Toyota & Honda. (IMO you can't go wrong with either of them but you pay for the name)

The 3 is a great value, it comes with a LOT of standard features that are add-ons for other models. The 3-5 door has a surprising amount of cargo area once it is tubbed out. Gas mileage is compromised somewhat as a 2.3 is a pretty big four-banger, but it is very powerful.

I have heard a lot of good things regarding Scions as well.

ichy · #9 11-23-2009, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scaggsville

Fashionplate has a very interesting thread on end-of-life issues today.

I was wondering, ichy, do you support auto-euthanasia? Will you Kill Whitey before she is Found on Road Dead of natural causes?

I intend to wring every last mile out of her and drive her until the day she dies.

LoqoLibra · #10 11-23-2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichy

The Jetta's not a bad car, but VW's reliability isn't that great from what I hear.

The only way I'd own a Volkswagen would be if someone else paid for it.

Norman · #11 11-23-2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichy

The Jetta's not a bad car, but VW's reliability isn't that great from what I hear.

I was replacing the Jetta I had for 12 years...that one was pretty dammmned reliable.

ichy · #12 11-23-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoqoLibra

My initial experiences and recommendations had me looking at the Corolla and Civic.

I swore I would never, ever drive, let alone own, a Mazda based on pre-1998 horror stories.

The Mazda 3 kept meeting all of my criteria, and they have been turning out some decent cars the last few years, same as Nissan, in an effort to compete with the foreign "big two" of Toyota & Honda. (IMO you can't go wrong with either of them but you pay for the name)

The 3 is a great value, it comes with a LOT of standard features that are add-ons for other models. The 3-5 door has a surprising amount of cargo area once it is tubbed out. Gas mileage is compromised somewhat as a 2.3 is a pretty big four-banger, but it is very powerful.

I have heard a lot of good things regarding Scions as well.

From what I heard Mazda reliability has gotten a lot better, Consumer Reports has nothing but fantastic things to say about them nowadays. I agree that if I want economical and reliable it's hard to beat a Corolla or Civic, but both of those cars are so boooooring. Like I said, I'm trying to keep it reasonably economical but I also don't want to get the most unexciting econobox out there.

Norman · #13 11-23-2009, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichy

but I also don't want to get the most unexciting econobox out there.

Mazda is exciting?

ichy · #14 11-23-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julieperl

I love my Acrua TL. It's the nicest, most fun car I've ever driven (OK- with the exception of my uncle's 62 Corvette).

The TL certainly seems reliable and fun, unfortunately it kind of fails on the economical part. I've briefly pondered getting a lightly used Lexus IS 250, but at this point in my life I can't justify that kind of a splurge.

ichy · #15 11-23-2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman

Mazda is exciting?

The Mazdaspeed3 certainly is!

Admittedly the plain old Mazda3 is no sports car, but everyone I know who's owned one says it's a lot more fun than a Corolla or Civic.

#16 11-23-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichy

.. and AWD adds weight, complexity and cost.

And the best driving on wet and/or snowy roads ever.

Worth every penny IMHO.

#17 11-23-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman

I was replacing the Jetta I had for 12 years...that one was pretty dammmned reliable.

I loved my Jetta. But stuff like door molding, trunk locks, and handles just kept falling off of it. I doubt I will own another VW.

julieperl · #18 11-23-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichy

The TL certainly seems reliable and fun, unfortunately it kind of fails on the economical part. I've briefly pondered getting a lightly used Lexus IS 250, but at this point in my life I can't justify that kind of a splurge.

You will be SHOCKED at how expensive an even not so gently used Lexus is. I know I was

. It was WAY out of my price range.... by $10k.... and the ones that were in my price range had well over 60k miles on it.

You could find a 2-3 year old Acrua TL w/o navigation for $18-22k... depending on milage. I don't know what your budget is. You just have to look... and if you're serious about an Acura or a Nissan, send me a PM. I'll hook you up with my Greek Discount.

I understand not being at a point where you want to splurge. I, finally, am.... plus I have to drive to Virginia twice a month for meetings. I needed to be comfortable sitting in 4-6 hours of traffic each trip.

. And now they want me to come to VA two days before Christmas- at Tyson's Mall for a company lunch. Kill me now. Seriously. I think I'm going to have car trouble that day.

nonstopjoe · #19 11-23-2009, 12:26 PM

great mpg, fun to drive, good looks, low maintenance, and high resale value. What's not to like? It's a super safe choice you won't regret. I'm not a Honda owner at present.

Norman · #20 11-23-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slapperhead

I loved my Jetta. But stuff like door molding, trunk locks, and handles just kept falling off of it. I doubt I will own another VW.

The biggest reason I got another one is the lack of problems over 12 years with the previous one. One power window motor is the only non-routine repair. Our own experiences are the most important....

These threads are always just opinions and probably luck I guess....we all have our reasons for plunking down our hard earned money on a particualr car...and usually can't see why other people spend their hard earned money on what you or I think is crap.