Looking for a new car... Opinions?

fancyfootwork said:
Any of these all within a few years old. Are you looking for something sporty, fun, and makes you happy everytime you drive it? Or are you just looking for something reliable? If its the latter.. go with a Corolla or a Kia, Hyundai, etc. Otherwise, get something with proven power and resale.

VW GTI
Subaru WRX
Mazdaspeed 3
Civic SI
Mustang GT
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:iagree:besides the mustang simply because you wont get the gt and the v6 is meh. my vote is wrx. AWD turbo you cant beat that
 
absolutely get the KIA. get it in black though.

the saabs are very unreliable, expensive to maintain/insure, and has extremely low resale value.

before i bought my black 2010 TSX last year, i was considering a saab. i really liked how they looked, but you do about 10 minutes of online research, and you're gonna change your mind.

i used to talk a lot of smacktalk about Hyundai and Kia a while back, and for good reason. I don't do so anymore. They're very good cars. I don't know too much about Kia reliability, but I know that Hyundais are VERY reliable.
 
I have an Optima and I love it. Bought an LX as my daily driver, comes with tons of standard items that you'll have to purchase as options from other manufactures. Not only that IMO it is the best looking midsize sedan ATM.

Only complaints is that the seat material is pretty damn cheap feeling and looking compared to my friends Altima. For design sakes the fracking rear window is tiny...like sports car tiny, and the A piller is freaking huge. Also to note that the front windshield is styled as a design so you'll probably pay out the ass when it breaks for a replacement.

BTW I pass on all Acrua models made after 2010. Looks are horrendous with that hideous looking front.

Other suggestions: Ford Fusion, Ford Taurus Eco Boost, 2008 and below Acura TL, Lexus GS line, Cadillac CTS.
 
Civic
Alitima
Sonta
Camery
Kia - Optima
Ford Focus
Chey Curz

Japanese cars have track record- Sonta comes highly recommend. Great Warrenty if you plan to keep car long.

I love Benz but there are no cheap ones.

Shop for price- do not listen to sales people. Buying a new car
is not easy,
 
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Oh how could I forget, the new 2012 Malibu is one sweet looking ride and in your price range. Maybe wait a little longer ;)
 
Consumer Reports, in their latest issue, compares the Hyundai Sonata and Kia twins. They prefer the Hyundai, which I do as well because of the curvaceous exterior.
I would also recommend the Volkwagen Jetta TDI or the new Passat.
How about a 1-2 yr old Subaru WRX???
 
Capa1970 said:
Consumer Reports, in their latest issue, compares the Hyundai Sonata and Kia twins. They prefer the Hyundai, which I do as well because of the curvaceous exterior.
I would also recommend the Volkwagen Jetta TDI or the new Passat.
How about a 1-2 yr old Subaru WRX???
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:iagree:
I love my 01 Tdi and the car has saved me a ton of $$$ with it's 50 mpg hwy. Just turned over the 200k mark last week. The new ones give up about 8 mpg compared to my car from stricter emission regs. Dan
 
Cat ji said:
:) You're not the only one saying that these days. The KIA SUV in particular. I think the reason might be the same as with Hyundai. (They are related companies.)

Hyundai hired a German designer that had previously worked for Audi. Look at the body styling and shapes and so on of the new Hyundais (the ix35, especially) and you'll see some resemblance to some of the Audi SUV, and the Sonata to BMW and Mercedes saloons.

Think about what that means in terms of corporate attitude. It means they have done what they considered necessary to achieve their goals.

Since getting a Hyundai recently, I've learned a bit about Hyundai as a company. They are *serious*, they are rigorous in achieving the goals they set. Not simply sales - excellence in engineering, manufacturing, corporate management and employee development.

One little example of engineering and their approach in general... the i10, the little car of the range, had a 1.2 liter engine that has been considered quite successful with its combination of fuel economy, performance and reliability. Last year, with a "facelift" version of the i10, they included a new version of the engine, Kappa2. 1.25 liter, slightly increased output, slightly improved fuel economy and lower emissions. I think most companies (like Ford and VW, for example) would have simply kept that same engine for at least a few generations of the car.
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: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?
 
Use this as a daily driver. Cannot beat the warranty and I just averaged 40 mpg on a 1.5 hour trip. Comes pretty equipped too compared to a honda or toyota. I don't even have 1000 miles on mine yet and it's great.

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S2K said:
: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?
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Who can warranty me that they will be around on 10 years? Sure, there is not warranty with no companies, but they have a lot less chance that others...

Just because the new kia's look nice does not mean they are good, and if I was looking for a kind of new, nice car, I would not even think about kia...
 
Hyundai and Kia have come a long way in terms of quality. The Kia Optima is a nice choice, but I think I'd prefer the Sonata. Nice interior.

Long term reliability with the two brands still remains to be seen. But so far their build quality seems pretty good.

If you're looking for some with established quality, can't go wrong with a Toyota Camry SE. 4-cylinder and V6 models both get great MPGs, and the SE looks much better than the base models since it has a subtle lip kit. You can get some great deals on Camrys since the 2012 is coming out in a few months and it will be a new generation.

2011-New-Toyota-Camry-SE-Side-Rear-View.jpg


I noticed you said you got a promotion. If you want something classy, then you can get a 2 or 3 year old Lexus IS250. Fun to drive cars, good gas mileage, and incredibly reliable and well built.

2010_lexus_is_250-pic-3261632915931159232.jpeg


Infiniti G35/G37 is another good choice. And the exhaust note on those things is AMAZING.

ag_09g37_ltrear.jpg
 
ROMEO said:
Who can warranty me that they will be around on 10 years? Sure, there is not warranty with no companies, but they have a lot less chance that others...

Just because the new kia's look nice does not mean they are good, and if I was looking for a kind of new, nice car, I would not even think about kia...
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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.
 
i actually like the interior of the optima more than the sonata. it seems like in the sonata, all the buttons on the dash are farther away from the driver. the kia feels a little more sporty. plus... if youre going to buy a used car, tuck away another 2 grand for a warranty that will only give you about 2 or 3 years. there arent many options for under 25k that give you as much as kia/hyundai does and allows you to drive the car worry free for 10year/100k miles.
 
IMO Ford is making as good a vehicle as anyone in the world today. I had a 2003 SAAB . It was fun but had a lot of problems that were fixed on warranty. I would stay clear today. Sad the shape they are in!
 
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.
 
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).
 
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