Looking for a new car... Opinions?

[Rei86]

I'm looking for something that will fit me comfortably. Im 185 lbs, 6' 4", hence the midsize sedans.

I drove the Sonata today and really liked it, gonna go to a Kia dealer tomorrow and see if its any better. (I know they are basically the same).

The interior design is like night and day, same for the exterior styling. But the handling characteristics are pretty much the same and the interior space.

 

[clm65]

For what it's worth, my wife and looked at the Kia Sorento and Optima when we were car shopping a few months ago. We really liked the looks of both vehicles, but they just seemed "cheaper" than the other vehicles we looked at (Nissan, Ford, Honda, Chevy, GMC, Toyota). Their leather seats were not as soft as the other manufacturers, and the interior just seemed more "plasticy" than the others. In their defense, they were less expensive than the others, but I do believe you get what you pay for.

 

[ziggo99]

I think I'm the first to say it, but...
Get the Saab. It's different. They still get respectable mileage, with respectable performance. I like the look of Saab's, they really stand out in the crowd. Almost owned one too, an 05 model. From what I recall of the test ride (didn't get the chance to drive it since it was in unfamiliar territory), it was a lot like the 99 Accord I was driving, in the sense that you felt connected to the car, like you were putting on a nice pair of gloves. I would totally buy a 9-3 if I had the money.

 

[jaymz]

4 door sedan? What are you...80 yrs old? Wouldn't have one on the property (and I'm 63). "Practical" sucks!

Jim

 

[RLove]

It would be helpful to know what you use your car for? And, what you like.

A used Saab and a new Kia aren't very good clues except that they are both sedans.

If you don't have a lot of money to spend now of in the future, I'd write off the Saab and a good portion of the Euro cars right off. Saab may not be around too much longer and support could become an issue.

I didn't used to be a Kia fan, but while shopping for a car for my daughter I developed a liking for them. A lot of car with a great warranty for the money, (she ended up with a used '08 Honda Civic EX-L by the way - low miles and a really nice, reliable car for under $17K).

 

[FUNX650]

Getting a promotion at work, means it's time to hang the keys on old Clifford, 2000 Ford Explorer. I can finally afford something nice, and new, or kind of new. I want some opinions, I've got it down to these:

I have some others in mind,....Or if you have a suggestion under $25k, that'd be cool too.

What do you guys think?

IMHO....You ought to seriously consider the American built by American employees, with profits and wages kept in America....The Toledo, Ohio USA Jeep Liberty that's in this picture.

Bob

 

[Cat ji]

:iagree:
I was parts manager for a Hyundai dealership about 5 years ago and they sent me to a lot of training. At one class they told us that in 1998 more Hyundai's went to the graveyard than came out of the factory. It was then they realized there was something wrong and they had to make changes. 2 years ago they said they want to be in the top 3 auto manufacturers in the world within 5 years. I think Hyundai is one of the best cars being made today. Who would offer a 10/100 warranty if they didn't believe in their quality?

:xyxthumbs: In South Africa (and Europe) and probably other countries, it's 5 years 150,000 km.
oh - hold on, oops - you're talking miles. Sorry.

Who can warranty me that they will be around on 10 years?

You can't be serious. That's probably what people used to say about Toyota.
btw, right now, I would rather buy Hyundai than Toyota, and I did.

Don't know about you but the Quality of Hyundai/Kia has gone up considerably in the past 10 years. Not only that the Hyundai will become top five in a few more years seeing how its already part of the top ten.

Seriously some people really need to get over the badge snobbery.

:iagree: Absolutely. They need to get better informed.

The 10 year/ 100k mile warranty along with the guaranteed Hyundai Assurance are all mass selling points to get people to buy their cars. Bottom line is Hyundai/Kia does not have the proven long term reliability as many of the other cars already mentioned.

In SA and other countries, they do.
Reputation is better than Ford - again, in many countries.

There are many of the old generation 90s Accents and Elantras still going.

btw, the rest of the world generally pays about twice as much as americans do for petrol.

 

[ChrisJ]

Get an Acura TL. One of the best looking and reliable sedans out there for sure.

Agreed

A TL for under 25K?...

Got my 2008 Acura TL Type-S for $22K out the door with 26K miles on it...The deals are out there and can be found...

 

[jaymz]

Hope you guys appreciate "tongue-in-cheek" humor.

Jim

4 door sedan? What are you...80 yrs old? Wouldn't have one on the property (and I'm 63). "Practical" sucks!

Jim

 

[Larry A]

The 10 year/ 100k mile warranty along with the guaranteed Hyundai Assurance are all mass selling points to get people to buy their cars. Bottom line is Hyundai/Kia does not have the proven long term reliability as many of the other cars already mentioned. Just because a car has a warranty doesn't mean it won't break. The reason Hyundai Motor Corporation is selling cars well in the US is because of A.)Cheap price point and B.)Warranty. I'm not trying to bash Hyundai/Kia.. but let's be honest, they have a bad track record and are just now trying to step up to the competition. If it were me, i'd take my price point and go elsewhere with proven stability, power, performance.

Another good point to look at is, how long do you plan on owning this car? Any car on the road today can easily get 3-5 years trouble free with proper maintenance.

Ive had 3 Hyundais and 1 Kia I used them for my busness and they were great cars . The first Hyundai was a 1988 Excel and I got 55000miles on the first set of brakes and that was all city driving. The last one was a Kia Sephia and I hated to see that one go , but I traded it in for a Kia Sedona for my wife, and thats also a great car. So I should say 3 Hyundais and 2 Kias.

 

[Mentalm]

outta those 2 id get the saab *even if they do let go all parts are easy to get and all warranties will be honored.

to add the list the vw gti great choice

i got my 2010 cobalt ss turbo for 21k out the door with extended warranty / extended bump to bumper (powertrain 7 year 100k miles)

and ive enjoyed it ever sense can be a hard ride but thats something i like for a good ballance of speed / handling / comfort id def recommend the GTI

 

[yakky]

I've had 3 Saabs, no more ever. Fun car to drive, but everything around it is crap. The motor and body will last forever, but you'll replace everything surround that several times over. I moved on to the VW/Audi family and have not looked back.

 

[Mike McDonald]

Hope you guys appreciate "tongue-in-cheek" humor.

Jim

I'm not 80, I'm just going from an SUV to something smaller, and I dont want to go too small. Plus I usually drive everywhere with my friends, so I need to fit people.

Someone asked what I used my car for, well here goes.

I drive to work, drive to friends, drive to the beach. I usually do 250 miles a week. I also enjoy an average of 50 mph on back roads, and 90 on the highway. Yes, I am 'that' guy. I am still a safe driver, I know how to handle it. I also like to screw around, do some donuts and what not, and I drive aggressively, so said the last cop to pull me over

 

[embolism]

you can get a 2008 IS350 for under $25K

fastest normally aspirated V6 sedan in North America that doesn't require use of turbos

obviously I'm a little biased

 

[Bubba Hyde]

I'm not 80, I'm just going from an SUV to something smaller, and I dont want to go too small. Plus I usually drive everywhere with my friends, so I need to fit people.

Someone asked what I used my car for, well here goes.

I drive to work, drive to friends, drive to the beach. I usually do 250 miles a week. I also enjoy an average of 50 mph on back roads, and 90 on the highway. Yes, I am 'that' guy. I am still a safe driver, I know how to handle it. I also like to screw around, do some donuts and what not, and I drive aggressively, so said the last cop to pull me over

Not sure of your exact preferences, but with the information above and the idea of what you're getting now from a MPG standpoint - I'd take a look as a CTS-V. Should be able to find an '06 within your budget, fuel cost should be close to the same, and I believe it would be much more comfortable "at speed".

my .02

 

[ziggo99]

I'm not 80, I'm just going from an SUV to something smaller, and I dont want to go too small. Plus I usually drive everywhere with my friends, so I need to fit people.

Someone asked what I used my car for, well here goes.

I drive to work, drive to friends, drive to the beach. I usually do 250 miles a week. I also enjoy an average of 50 mph on back roads, and 90 on the highway. Yes, I am 'that' guy. I am still a safe driver, I know how to handle it. I also like to screw around, do some donuts and what not, and I drive aggressively, so said the last cop to pull me over

If you're doing 50 mpg on back roads in an 00 Explorer, you sir are an aggressive driver. And thus making the Saab a better pick between the two. The Saab just doesn't get as much coverage as other "well known" auto makers, but it's still an excellent car.

 

[slimnib]

I'm not 80, I'm just going from an SUV to something smaller, and I dont want to go too small. Plus I usually drive everywhere with my friends, so I need to fit people.

Someone asked what I used my car for, well here goes.

I drive to work, drive to friends, drive to the beach. I usually do 250 miles a week. I also enjoy an average of 50 mph on back roads, and 90 on the highway. Yes, I am 'that' guy. I am still a safe driver, I know how to handle it. I also like to screw around, do some donuts and what not, and I drive aggressively, so said the last cop to pull me over

90 miles an hour? Where do you live? In Montana?
You are not a safe driver, unless you are the only one on the road in a empty car, so that the only life you risk is yours.
In any event, based on the way you drive there are only two cars you need to own, and I have owned them both. A 3- BMW or a Porsche 911. The 3- is less expensive. At 90 miles an hour nothing else comes near. ( and is somewhat reasonabley priced)

 

[TMD]

We detailed a Kia Sorento this morning and came away with a couple things. First off was the fuel door, made out of plastic instead of metal. It felt cheap and I doubt it lasts the ten years. That was an early indication to me of how I perceived the vehicle to be built. If they take the cheaper road on that, where else were the shortcuts? Then I got to the cloth seats which were heavily stained. The client said even the condensation from a glass will leave a stain. It reminder me of the older generation Sport Trac seats. On the positive side of it though, the vehicle drove well and had plenty of options. And comparing price points on similar models it's a good deal.

I read on an earlier post about Hyundai's reliability issues and whether or not they'd be around to fulfill warranty claims. I bought one back in college (2000) and put 100,000 plus miles on it before giving it to my brother. I replaced both front window regulators and performed normal maintenance and never had another problem. I enjoyed that Elantra while I had it. Even got it up to 127 mph on a back road from Tallahassee to St. George Island at 0200 one weekend morning. My younger brother has possession of it now and it still drives good, and neither of my brothers knows a thing about maintenance.

Speaking on insurance terms solely based on my time owning the Hyundai, my insurance company (USAA) had extremely low rates. If I remember right it was around $50.00 a month for comp/coll.

Times have changed for both companies. They've come a long ways from when insurance companies wouldn't even insure them.

 

[Rei86]

We have a 2010 Sorento, had a 2001 RAV4, have a 2011 Optima, selling a 1993 Toyota Supra TT, and many many more but

I hate the 2010 Sorento AWD. It drives like ####, and some of the interior ergonomics is just stupid. I know after I get rid of the 93 Supra we're picking up a 2011 Sorento or a Sportage and the fit/finish/material and the FEEL of actually driving is like FL Summer vs NY Winter.

Also about the whole "Amurica" statement, just buy a Hyundai than since most of the stuff they build comes from Birmingham Alabama (pass on the Genesis sedan and Sonata). Hell a fracking Toyota Camry is more built in "Amurica" than most of the stuff GM sells. Oh yeah BMW's X5 and X3 all South Carolina built "Amurican" car.

But if that doesn't bother you OP just go out and test drive some of these things and get back to us. I would suggest Buick also but they have gotten ex termly expensive brand new with that awesome new restyling that they went under.

 

[SRTSean]

Pick up a used E46 M3.