I have been very happy with my Nissan Sentra. It has plenty of footroom, and has hauled some very large/long Ikea boxes comfortably, while still accommodating Celtlings Safety seat. (yes, if you keep this one 15 years you may need to think about that again! LOL)
The Versa (smaller four-door) loses a lot on foot and luggage space and gains almost nothing on gas mileage. The Altima was more car than I needed, but has a trunk like an old Ford Fairlane. (meaning HUGE). The new Nissan transmissions are holding up well, save a lot of gas, and make driving smooth and comfortable.
In your place I’d also consider the Cube. It is extremely versatile, easy to clean, and the ease of entry/exit is really surprising. I never really realized what a contortion it is getting in and out of a car until I drove this and felt the ease of it.
Celtling has a Major complaint about the lack of rear AC vents in the Sentra. If I had it to do again I’d spring for the sunroof.
I really wanted the Prius, bought the Sentra because price mattered.
The Prius is now several models instead of just the one they used to have. If I were shopping for a replacement for my Honda Fit today, I’d consider the Prius C, which is basically a hatchback version of the Prius and is several thousand less.
Love my Kia Soul. I went from a Saturn SL2, which I loved, to the Soul, and while it is the same width and a tad shorter as the Saturn, it feels like a huge canvern in there - just excellent interior space. Has the UVO radio system, which is wonderful - instead of carrying a iPod with you, just spend an evening uploading all of the MP3s into the UVO’s hard drive. Has a USB port as well, just in case, integrated Bluetooth, etc.
Excellent turn radius, great gas mileage, including an “smart drive” system for maximizing fuel economy that you can turn on and off, all sorts of airbags, and the 10 year warranty. All for a really good price - a fully souped up Soul is the the range of $26,000, with the base starting at $17,000.
I’m gonna go with Mazda 3. I have a 2004 Mazda 3 I bought used @ 11,500 miles for $12.5K and it’s on 110K miles now and has not had a single mechanical problem. Only money I’ve put into it is brakes & tires–routine maintenance stuff. It’s a brilliant car, affordable, and fun to drive. My cousin has a 2012 Mazda 3 and is similarly happy with it (although his experience with the car is not as long.) Everybody I know who has had a Mazda 3 loves their car. My wife has a Ford Focus and it’s similarly as good, although I don’t like the interior as much as the Mazda 3, and the base model doesn’t quite have the “oomph” of my Mazda 3.
When I bought it, I originally was on the hunt for Toyotas and Hondas, but one drive in the Mazda (especially after seeing the price), I was sold. When this guy finally peters out, I plan to replace it with another slightly used Mazda 3.
Not to highjack the thread, but this doesn’t make so much sense. An Edmunds comparison of base model Ford Taurus SE, no options, dealer quotes:
2014 - KBB fair purchase price = $26,200
2012 - excellent condition, 24k miles = $18,500
2010 - excellent condition, 48k miles = $16, 800
The first 2 years the vehicle lost 31% of its retail value. The next 2 years it lost 9%. Consumer Reportsagrees:
Typo Knig is doing the right thing for him, since he is going to drive it until it dies (hopefully over 10 years) and he’s not comfortable with a used car. When I gave this advice he had not yet mentioned either of those facts.
It doesn’t make a rats ass difference how much “retail value” it loses, since what we’re talking about is how much he’d have to PAY for the car.
Yeah sure. His new car would lose a considerable amount of paper value after two years. Which, since he’s not trading it is mostly meaningless.
And yes, if you SOLD your two year old used car to a dealer, you’d take a serious hit.
But that would not equate to the same reduction in what he’d PAY for the car. So that fact that a car loses 31% of its retail value over two years does not mean you’d get to BUY a two year old used car for 31% less.
It’s true, you can save some nice bucks by buying a late model used car. Of course CR is figuring you’re paying cash. But a used car loan is 3% or so. A new car loan can easily be 0%.
What are you, 6 years old? Maybe you’d care to share your vast experience with Hyundais to back up your claim? I drove a Hyundai for over 10 years and it was a trouble-free car. Everyone I know who has a Hyundai loves it. Some of these folks are in their 60s and even 80s and have owned many cars, including a couple guys I thought I’d never seen in an import. They all love their Hyundais and I haven’t heard about them having any problems with them. It seems like all I hear about VW these days is electrical problems, cheap interiors, and expensive repairs. I bought a new car in January and looked at a wide range of vehicles, including Hyundai and VW. To me the VWs seemed overpriced for the money. While I didn’t end up with another Hyundai I did like both the Elantra and the Accent that I drove.
For the OP, I also drove a Mazda 3, Focus, Fiesta, Dart, Suzuki SX4 and Kizashi, Chevy Cruze, and Nissan Sentra. I bought the Kizashi and the Sentra was probably my second choice. The 3, the Focus, and the Dart were all solid cars, though. Based on your listed uses it seems like you might benefit from a hatchback.
Nothing is wrong with it, but my son will soon need a car. I’m the one who can afford a new one, so I get the new one. Otherwise I’d drive my Civic into the dust. It’s only got 160k miles on it. There are little things wrong with it. The interior light hasn’t worked since the replacement radio (with USB!) was installed. There’s an odd musty smell that I can’t seem to track down, like I farted in the car too many times. (Which is the case.) The new floor mats don’t match the interior color scheme because Honda doesn’t make that color floor mat anymore. And a headlight needs a new bulb. It might need new tires soon. All minor stuff. I’ve kept up with dealer maintenance, particularly after my commute went to 300 miles a week.
I haven’t bought a car in this century - or even this millennium - so I appreciate the advice and experience that Dopers share.
Suzuki is leaving (or has left) the US market. Buying one could be risky down the road.
VW has not faired well in reliability reviews for a number of years.
Hondas are Hondas. High quality, a tad boring and a bit over-priced, but you can’t go wrong buying an Accord or Civic.
They are selling like 20,000 Sonatas, 68,000 Hyundais in the US every month. Hyundai is making a better and better car. Have owned them in the past and no real complaints.
Subaru is a niche carmaker that has some intriguing offerings. A bit more money than some, but the all wheel drive is a huge plus.
If you live in the Southeast – Toyota dealers are something of an enigma. I just helped my daughter-in-law buy a Seanna (sp?) minivan. I got her a better price by almost $1,000 having one shipped from Maryland to Florida. The distributer who has a monopoly and jacks up the prices of any sold in the Southeastern US.
I love my MINI Cooper, but they are neither cheap, nor reliable – just a blast to drive.
A Mazda 5 seats 7, if 3 are small children and are very reasonable. Haven’t been redesigned in a very long time and most you’ll find on the lot are very basic.
Kia has become a better company since their relationship with Hyundai and have some likable models.
As far as price is concerned, $15,000 is where you begin for a new car. A far cry from the $1,350 I paid for my first new VW Beetle.
I love my 2012 Chevy Sonic, which is one “level” below the popular Cruze. I believe the 2013s have iPod connectivity/Bluetooth standard; mine doesn’t. It’s a regular ICE but I’ve been getting about 39 MPG (combined) instead of the 29 combined that was advertised for the non-turbo engine. Seats four comfortably and the trunk is very roomy. With the rear seats folded down, I can haul a hell of a lot.
That’s what I was going to say - find as many reviews on the cars you’re interested in as you can. When we were looking for a car (and ended up with a 2005 Toyota Corolla), we found nothing but bad reviews for all Volkswagens.
I always recommend Toyota Corollas - eight years in, I have no complaints. We have done long, long trips in it, too, as well as daily commuting.
I have had a Nissan Versa for a few years and I love it, but it might be too small for your needs. It does have decent room for it’s size though. I have never had any problems with it other than the tire pressure light going on for no reason.
I second this one.
I’m on my second Prius now, the last one went 270,000 miles without a problem, and at 30,000 the new one is also trouble free. The new one (2012) was also significantly less expensive then the last one (2004).
Over 20+ years I’ve owned 5 Toyotas - Camry wagon, Sienna, Corolla, and 2 Matirixes (Matrices?) Not a lick of trouble with any of them. They are reliable appliances, nothing more.
My wife drives a Subaru Outback and likes it. 2 of my kids testdrove Imprezas but bought other cars. Seem like very nice cars, tho slightly higher prices than competitors.
My son bought a Nissan Versa, and is not thrilled. But he’s a young man, and I think he realizes he would have preferred something with a little more style and oomph. And he’s earning enough that he realizes he could have spent a little more.
On the practical side, a significant factor into our long-time Toyota relationship was that the Toyota dealer was simply the closest car dealer to where we lived. Made it very convenient when we were getting service under warranty. And we NEVER had any unpleasant experiences with this Toyota dealership - either regarding purchase or service. Our personal experience was that the local Honda and Subaru dealers had somewhat more of an attitude as though er ought to be grateful that they were showing us their cars.
Of course, what do I know? Right now I’m looking hard at an Oldsmobile Rallye 350…
Otherwise I’d drive my Civic into the dust. It’s only got 160k miles on it. There are little things wrong with it. The interior light hasn’t worked since the replacement radio (with USB!) was installed. There’s an odd musty smell that I can’t seem to track down, like I farted in the car too many times. (Which is the case.) The new floor mats don’t match the interior color scheme because Honda doesn’t make that color floor mat anymore. And a headlight needs a new bulb. It might need new tires soon. All minor stuff. I’ve kept up with dealer maintenance, particularly after my commute went to 300 miles a week.
