Please Recommend A New Car

In My Humble Opinion
1

I was hoping to make my 1995 Subaru Impreza wagon last until 2015, but at this point I’m not sure it’ll make it another year if I can’t figure out its overheating problem. So I’m looking into new or recent used cars. The car has to have an automatic transmission (I prefer a stick, but my fiancee needs to be able to drive it too and I’ve given up trying to teach her) and preferably AWD or 4WD but not be too big. Something the size of a sedan or wagon or maybe a small crossover would be my first choice. I’d actually prefer the wagon body, mostly because I like being able to get a decent amount of cubic space when needed. And, to be honest, I’m sick of driving cars long distances without cruise. Also, I’ll be having to finance most of this, so I don’t want a principle greater than $20-25,000. Trade-in value is minimal but if they’ll take it away from me I’ll probably trade it in.

My first choice would be a replacement Subaru. I’ve really liked my current car and would really like an Outback Sport or maybe an Impreza. I’d love a WRX but that’s out of my price range.

My fiancee has a 1992 Mazda MX-3. She’d probably be happy with a new Mazda and I did see a Mazda5 on sale for a good price (about $14,000) but that’s a bigger car than I’d like. I’ve thought about a Mazda3, mostly because it has a lot of good safety features and the manual-shift option on the automatic, even though it’s just FWD. A lower model Mazda6 might be a good option as well.

I’ve thought about a Scion but don’t know much about them. I’d like to drive an xB before deciding, though any of them might do. I also don’t know much about Suzukis or Mitsubishis.

I was also thinking maybe a Honda. Not sure between the Accord, the Civic, the Insight, or the CR-V. A Honda Insight EX or Honda Civic hybrid would be pretty nice.

There’s so many Toyotas I’m not sure how to narrow it down without going to a dealer.

I’m not too interested in American cars, though a good car with a good deal would get me looking. I’m also not too interested in a Volkswagen and wouldn’t mind a Volvo (first car was a Volvo) but everything but the C30 is out of my price range and that might be too small.

I realize this is a pretty wide request for help, but if anyone’s bought a car recently and can suggest something, I’d appreciate it. I don’t really want to spend several weekends at dealers if I can cut down entire makes and models right out.

2

Are you living with your fiancee? If so you could try making do with just the one car, it should in general be enough for a 2-person household.

Also you might try expanding on what you use your car(s) for, for instance why the requirement for an AWD?

3

Well, the problem with just the one car is that right now we both work and the distances and timing is such that one car isn’t a great option. Though I admit that may be the choice for a while.

The AWD is because that A. I’ve always liked the way my Subaru handles with it but also that B. It helped me a lot during the winter (which is the first time I had to do any real driving with snow and ice to contend with) despite the lack of modern stability features. While I know nothing will help when it comes to ice, the AWD helped me keep the car under control several times when I felt it starting to slide.

4

Although you’ll end up buying a Honda, as everyone who starts one of these threads does, I’ll recommend the Suzuki SX-4, which has a hatchback/mini-wagon version and runs about $16.6 grand for a low-trim version. AWD is a $500 option, and an automatic transmission is $1100.

http://www.suzukiauto.com/shopping_tools/byo2009/byo.php?modelID=41

My wife and I each own the SX-4’s predecessor, the Aerio, and are very happy. The cars have been very reliable.

5

I’m looking at the Mazdaspeed3, the 2010 comes out this fall.

6

Classic Dope. Question is asked, responder disregards the question and tells OP that his assumptions are invalid and his opinions are wrong.

7

You might want to take the time to check out the Toyota Venza. It’s available in an AWD and it’s a pretty attractive style that seems to fit your description.

I haven’t driven one but I sat in it and checked it out thoroughly at the Auto Show and it’s a pretty appealing car. I’m generally a Toyota hater and there are some quirks with the interior that is classic Toyota, a common personal complaint of mine, but the features and some creative uses of space were impressive.

8

Although it doesn’t meet many of your requirements, I bought an Acura RSX a few years back brand new. It has about 57000 miles on it now, and I’ve never had to do more than change the oil. It comes in automatic, with cruise control, gets pretty good mileage, but is small and doesn’t have AWD.

9

I have owned and enjoyed two Hyundai Elantras in a row. They’re well under your price ceiling- you can get a fully loaded one for $16k, and I got mine (with automatic transmission, power everything, and CD/MP3/satellite 6-speaker audio) for $14k.

The only caveat is that they won’t last as long as your Subaru- they’re bulletproof until 100k miles, then things start going wonky. That worked out fine for me since the powertrain warranty is for 100k miles anyway.

10

Since you mentioned Scion, I’ll pipe in. I have an xA (now superseded by the xD) which I’ve had for four years now. No AWD option, but it is a high-quality car like all Toyotas, and I have no regrets. The only downside is that some people think it is a hybrid. I ain’t no tree-hugging pinhead!..TRM

11

The C30 is a fantastic car. It’s fun to drive and rather practical, as with the back seats down, there’s scads of room. Very fast. You can get some good deals if you are willing to take one of the dealers lot.

Other than that, yes, you are talking Subaru Outback or Forester.

Go to Edmunds.com you can get facts, figures, see incentives and even get deals.

12

You can also do some research at www.cars.com.

13

I’ve owned a WRX since 2002. Other than the lube shop putting the wrong fluid in my transmission causing it to seize, I’ve had no problems with it. We just bought a 2009 Forrester XT for my wife. I’d have traded in my WRX for a second Forrester if the timing had been right. It has traction control and is almost as quick as my WRX. I think all models now have traction control and, even though other cars have AWD, it isn’t Subaru AWD. Don’t settle for some tacked on crap installed for marketing purposes.

14

I actually looked at the SX-4 crossover online while posting this thread. That it has both AWD and cruise made me put it on the list of possibilities if someone had something good to say about it. I just wish cruise was available on the base model. As I said, I don’t know much about Suzukis. I still think of the Samurai first when I think of Suzukis, which tells you how little contact I’ve had with that company. The $1750 factory cash and $500 graduation incentive (most companies I’ve seen include graduate school as counting) gets it to a very favorable price for a fully-loaded vehicle.

15

Before you make any decisions, try to hold out until the fall. There are 2 plans in Congress and if either of them passes it might mean you would qualify for a $5000+ voucher for a new car.:smiley:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/automobiles/03CLUNKER.html

That being said, my 1994 Honda Accord which I got new is still running with over 175,000 miles. I always do the scheduled maintenance and it has rewarded me by being a great car. I’d definitely get another Honda although I might go smaller, either a Civic or a Fit–only because I don’t have much in the money dept. right now. If I’m not still unemployed and this thing passes, I’ll definitely consider it.

Oh yeah, the link above has 2 links that list the new cars that would qualify depending on which of the 2 plans passes.

16

Forester. Forrester is Sean Connery’s character in that shit movie about writers.

There’s nothing special about Subaru’s four wheel drive system, FTR. All modern 4WD systems automatically regulate the power available to each wheel, and Subaru wasn’t even the first manufacturer to think of it. I still want a WRX, though (or better still, an STi).

17

Let me give you a candid account of our experience with the Aerio, then. I believe that the SX-4 is very similar, mechanically, to the Aerio.

Suzuki was a bit of a mystery to me, too, so buying one (two, actually) was a bit of a leap into the darkness; but it’s worked out well.

I bought a 2003 Aerio after being impressed with its roominess and its enormous trunk while looking at cars at the Northwest Auto Show. Also, the driving position seemed more open than on its competitors (all of which had an intrusive A-pillar) and outward visibility seemed excellent.

The interior space is very good, especially the very large back seat. The doors are large, which makes getting in and out easy–and after wedging myself into the back seat of my friends’ Passats and Jettas, I can appreciate that. The seats are quite plain, but very firm and comfortable.

The engine has a timing chain, not a belt–so you don’t have a $600 service job waiting for you every 60K miles.

I liked mine, and when Mrs. R needed a new car, she drove mine and she decided to get one, too; so we have one sedan and one hatchback. I now have about 80K miles on mine and she has maybe 70K on hers.

So how have they lasted?

They’re fun to drive (we got the five-speed), with plenty of get-up-and-go. On the highway, they’ll get 31 mpg; on my daily commute on mostly rural roads with a bit of city, mine gets about 29.

We had a few infant-mortality type failures: The dimmer on the (digital) clock failed. Suzuki replaced them (it happened on both cars) under warranty, and they’ve been fine since. The brakes had a clacking noise when you first stepped on them; a factory service bulletin reduced it, but occasionally it shows up again. The remotes crapped out pretty early (30K, maybe?) but their replacements are going strong. There are actually a couple encouraging things about this: One, both our cars had the same problems (and others report them on the web), so you know the cars are being built consistently the same; and two, the new parts are better, so you know Suzuki spent some time looking at, and fixing, the problems. (Compare and contrast with your last Chevrolet :rolleyes:)

There is one problem that hasn’t been fixed, though, and that’s a buzzing rattle from the rear door panels on certain types of roads at high speeds. I spent a considerable time with foam tape, dynamat, and felt, trying to fix it, but it’s still there; the dealer didn’t have any idea what to do, either.

And, after 70k miles, the wife’s is getting rid of a bit of engine oil somehow, so I kind of have to keep an eye on it.

But overall, they’ve held up very well. The upholstery and interior materials are still like new; the paint is still good; there’s no sign of rust. They both start every gol-darned time, they run well; and we’d have no hesitation about taking one clear across the country if we needed to. They’re fun to drive; the handling is very good (wide, low-profile tires) and the engine is powerful.

18

All right, I’ll recommend a new car. Go get one.

19

I’d recommend a Civic. I couldn’t justify the cost of a hybrid. I knew I wouldn’t be driving it much (it took me a year and half just to get it to 10,000 km) and I figured it would take forever for fuel savings to make up the cost difference. I got an EX sedan. I was able to pay cash for this one so I wanted to have a sunroof (finally) and the six-speaker package. Every time I look at it I fall in love again. I’m VERY happy with it. I got a manual transmission because I wanted to drive the car, not just ride in it. Everyone is impressed with the look, the interior space, the size of the trunk, and how fun it is to drive. It gets great gas mileage and is an excellent product for the price. Dollar-wise it compared to a Chevy Malibu but when I looked at $27K for a GM product vs $27K for a Honda (Canadian dollars), it was a no-brainer. Honda offered more standard features and just has better quality.

I did have a great experience with a GM product, as my last car was a 1990 Corsica that I bought it new and drove hard for 17 years, and it’s still going strong at 19 years. But I know I really lucked out with that one! My brother is a mechanic and even he couldn’t believe how many miles I had on it and how well it was still running relatively problem-free. It must have been a good day on the production line when that one came off.

20

FYI, the 2010 Chevy Equinox 4-cyl is supposed to get 30mpg highway and 18 city. I’m sure that’s the 2wd version, but 4WD should be only slightly worse.